Mindanao to get $25-M agri projects

MANILA, Philippines – At least $25 million worth of agricultural projects will be implemented in Mindanao starting next year by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) of the United Nations.

The projects are expected to reduce poverty in 11 agrarian reform communities in the region.

IFAD country program manager Benoit Thierry said over 300,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries from 11 agrarian reform communities in the regions of Zamboanga, Davao and Caraga would benefit from the project called convergence of value-chain enhancement for rural growth and empowerment (CONVERGE).

Thierry said the project would enable agrarian reform beneficiaries and other small farmers to become productive entrepreneurs.

In partnership with the Department of Agrarian Reform, Thierry said CONVERGE would finance farm inputs, tools, product packaging and capacity-building programs to improve the quantity and quality of the farmers’ produce.