Organizational Strengthening Approach to Coffee Farmers

“Very Relevant, haum sa among needs”  (fits our needs), comments one of the coffee farmers in Kalamansig who participated in the Strategic planning & Policy, System and Procedure making last month.

Since last year, the Pasali Agriculture team has been conducting institution building trainings to coffee farmer groups of Maasim, Kalamansig and Lebak Municipalities. From production & marketing trainings, Pasali shifts its thrust to Organizational Development Approach in its continuous intervention among organized coffee farmers. With the goal of increasing farmer’s income, Pasali trained these groups to increase their organizational capacity, making them ready and eligible to avail grants from the government and private sectors.

The Provincial Rural Development Program (PRDP),is giving FARM to MARKET road, roasting, drying facilities, seedlings and other needed equipment for value-chain development but farmer groups must pass the following eligibility requirements, such as; legal permits, financial stability, organizational capacity, equity requirement of 20% ( cash or in kind), willing to shoulder the cost of DED ( Detailed Engineering Design), and certification from the Provincial Accountant. All of these requirements presuppose that farmers are already capable of running an operational business entity whether a cooperative or corporation. 

For this reason, the Sustainable Agriculture Program of Pasali Philippines under its project Agri-Entrepreneurship have shifted to organizational development approach.

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This project on “Reducing rural poverty through Agroentrepreneurship” is in partnership with PinoyME Foundation, USAID and Gerry Roxas Foundation