30 SIARGAO FARMERS FINISH DAR’S FARM BIZ SCHOOL

After many setbacks and challenges encountered because of the global emergency crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, farmer-members of Nuevo Campo Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (NUCARBECO) have finally graduated from Farm Business School (FBS) in Barangay Nuevo Campo, San Benito town, this province.

A total of 30 farmermembers of NUCARBECO have finally graduated from their Farm Business School (FBS) in a ceremony held recently in Barangay Nuevo Campo, San Benito town initiated by the provincial office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Surigao del Norte.

The FBS is one of the agency’s Partnership Development Programs which started last March 10, 2021. pushed through 25 learning sessions and meetings intermittently whilst taking every precautionary measure against COVID-19. During the graduation ceremony, the graduates received machetes (bolo) and harvest materials from DAR-Surigao del Norte.

In his message, NUCARBECO chairperson Alejandro C. Balabala acknowledged the efforts the DAR

has extended to the cooperative.

“On behalf of NUCARBECO, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to DARSurigao del Norte for the additional knowledge and for upskilling us in our vegetable production and marketing through this farm business school,” said Balabala.

According to him, the FBS created opportunities for their members to collectively pursue and carry out business and market opportunities to make NUCARBECO sustainable.

Meanwhile, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Maria Elizabeth L. De Guzman congratulated the farmer-graduates and commended their perseverance despite the health risks. She challenged them to apply what they have learned from the biz school and become the farmer-entrepreneurs as what they were trained for.

De Guzman also hoped that through their sustainable vegetable production, NUCARBECO will be able to supply the vegetable requirement of the whole of Siargao Islands in the near future.

During this time, NUCARDECO sold 40 kilos of assorted vegetables to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) of Dapa. A representative was present during the FBS graduation ceremony to show their support to the farmers.

“This is our way of staying true to our commitment in supporting our local farmers by patronizing their farm produce,” said JO3 Joel Joseph R. Mengote, Food Service Supervisor of BJMPDapa.

FBS aims to help farmers learn how to make their farming enterprises and overall farm operations profitable and able to respond to market demands in their local environment where they can work in small groups at their own pace. (Daryll M. Tumbaga, DARSurigao del Norte/PIASurigao del Norte)