CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA) - - The Provincial Monitoring Support Office (PMSO) of the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agriculture Development (DA-SAAD) Program is working to ensure the survival of farmers cooperatives and associations (FCA) through the crafting of sustainability and business plans.
 
PMSO is conducting Project Assessment and Outcomes Monitoring on FCAs to help facilitate the crafting of beneficiaries’ sustainability plans as part of project support now that the program is on its last year of  implementation.

According to DA-SAAD, 59 FCAs were established in 46 barangays from the eight towns of Kalinga and which were provided projects as livelihood assistance benefitting some 3,544 farmer-members. Within the program’s phase out period, the assessment on the current status of FCAs is necessary as basis for future interventions.

 “We want to know the status of FCAs and what were the outcomes so that we can craft their sustainability and business plan which will then serve as guide in running their association,” Stepher Banhan of SAAD CAR said.
 
Three of the 56 FCAs assessed in February this year got very satisfactory rating. These are the Bullalayao Irrigators Association, Banat-Banagan Pakao Credit Cooperation, and Malin-awa Binongsay Savings and Loan Cooperative.

Twenty one FCAs obtained satisfactory rating while 20 FCAs got moderate rating. Unfortunately, two FCAs got low rating indicating that capability interventions for the group are needed.  SAAD staff encourage them to apply their trainings in both managing their organization and projects and seek further assistance from other agencies.

“Agpaspasalamat kami ta adda daytuy nga assessment yu ta naamwan mi ti pagkapsutan kada pagpigsaan mi ket ammu min nu anya ti punpunnuwan ken imentenar mi,” (We are thankful for this assessment because we were able to identify our weaknesses and strengths for us to also know what we are to work on and to maintain), Arlene Bagni of Masakbayan Balantoy Farmers Association said.   (JDP/PAB-PIA CAR, Kalinga)