DA, JICA explore potential partnerships

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) are looking to continue working together as they discuss potential ventures.

In a statement, the DA said JICA’s newly appointed Chief Representative to the Philippines Sakamoto Takema recently met with Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

During the meeting, Sakamoto stressed that agriculture is an important sector in every country as it boosts income generation, job creation, parks and recreation, food security, and other factors of the society.

Dar and Sakamoto also discussed potential ventures between JICA and DA on agricultural infrastructures, capacity-building for farmers and cooperatives, food terminal systems, scholarship opportunities, research and development, and private sector involvement.

“We continue to treasure the various assistance from the  Official Development Assistance (ODA) to private sector partnerships to other programs,”Dar said.

“I think our minds are really in synergy because the things that you have discussed, and described, are the very strategies that we would like to pursue under the “OneDA” Reform Agenda. We believe that these programs will really help us have a stronger hold to make the lives of our farmers and fisherfolk more prosperous this time,”he said.

The DA has two ongoing projects with JICA, particularly the Advisor on Project Formulation and Preparation under Japan’s Technical Cooperation Program, implemented by DA Project Development Service and Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), and Market-Driven Enhancement of Vegetable Value Chain in the Philippines (MV2C), spearheaded by the  DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance (AMAS).

The first project aims to assist DA in increasing pipeline projects in the agri-fishery sector and to facilitate the process of approving projects for possible assistance by the Government of Japan.

In contrast, the second initiative is a $3.19-million grant assistance which aims to increase productivity and income of farmers by expanding the profitable vegetable value chain through the development of an inclusive business model.

JICA and the DA began the first phase of the MV2C in January.

The five-year project for highland and lowland vegetables will also study the gaps in the country’s vegetable supply chain network and address food security.

The project aims to come up with a vegetable value chain roadmap that will identify major bottlenecks, provide solutions, and distinguish the roles of each stakeholder along the value chain.