DA, PCCI sign MOU to boost agribusiness dev’t

MANILA, Philippines - To support the development of agriculture-based enterprises, the Department of Agriculture signed last Wednesday, March 26, a memorandum of understanding with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry that would pave the way for the creation of a so-called Agribusiness Desk. 

The Agribusiness Desk is envisioned to provide technical and market linkage assistance to budding agri-entrepreneurs who lack managerial and financial market support.

The Agribusiness Desk would help agri-entrepreneurs to  become more productive and enjoy better profits.

 According to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, “This timely undertaking forms part of the government’s goal to allow small farmers and fishers to graduate from subsistence or near-subsistence farming to higher scale production, as the latter means better income opportunities for them.” 

The Agribusiness Desk would be tasked to:

1. Provide information on the agribusiness situation, opportunities by specific area -- both for local and international funders and investors related to agribusiness.

2. Assist potential investors in identifying potentially viable and high impact agribusiness projects.

3. Provide a full range of consultancy services to potential investors in project development, including assistance in securing government incentives.

Also part of the support for agri-entrepreneurs would be market-matching, or linking food producers directly to buyers or their desired markets. 

“Involvement of farmers and fishers, notably the smallholder ones, in markets is indeed very important in achieving improved food security and poverty reduction,” said Alcala, adding  “Our food producers will be encouraged to produce more through the adoption of better technologies and appropriate tools if they are assured where and when to sell.” 

The Agribusiness Desk would also assist the Department of National Defense in successfully turning its vast vacant landholdings in military camps and other facilities into food production and agribusiness sites. 

As defined by the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, agribusiness refers to “the collective business activities that are performed from farm to fork”, a description of the connection between farmers and consumers, locally and globally.” 

For Secretary Alcala, this initiative would  showcase the best about public-private sector partnership. “While we in DA work to address the agri-fishery sector’s numerous concerns, from lack of modern infrastructure to high production costs, we need the private sector’s commitment to serve as a go-between among players, telling us what’s best for our small-scale stakeholders.” 

“When successful – and we are confident it will succeed – this initiative will provide one way out of poverty for our smallholder farmers and fishers,” Alcala said.