TO INCREASE knowledge and skills on how to efficiently and effectively manage and govern heirloom rice cooperatives, the Department of Agriculture-CAR spearheaded by Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division conducted a three-day training.
“Through this training you might be able to realize and put into use the full potential of your cooperatives and increase your capacities,” Robert Cayanos of the Cooperative Union of Baguio City said during the three day “Cooperative Governance and Management Training in Support to Heirloom Rice R&D Project” seminar.
The training specifically aimed to enhance the production of quality heirloom rice through imparting knowledge on the importance of coop governance, causes and effects of poor coop governance, goals of coop governance, principles and characteristics of good coop governance, key coop governance actors, functions and responsibilities of the key actors in coop governance, board relationships, good coop governance practices, social audit and report, and performance audit and report.
According to Cordillera Rice Terraces Farmers’ Cooperative manager Jimmy Lingayo, the training was able to provide necessary information to improve the existing management of the cooperatives in order to widen their services and market.
Lingayo added other provinces are already starting to establish their own cooperatives, thus with the training, others may learn and realize that through proper governance, heirloom rice cooperatives can reasonably earn. This will encourage them to expand heirloom rice production areas while preserving the culture that are associated to it.
He said there is already an international market for heirloom rice and they are already exporting. But they cannot meet all the demand.
Besides, the local market is also increasing and they cannot meet local and export demand, he said. The training was attended by 50 officials of different heirloom rice farmers’ cooperatives from the different municipalities of Ifugao and Benguet.
“You have learned the principle, so turn it into practice,” Cayanos said and emphasized the beneficiaries of the department should not waste the equipment and opportunities being given to them. (Leny Mendoza and Jenny Dayao/DA-CAR)