Other Government Release

North Cotabato farmers’ group enhances processing center for more quality muscovado sugar



Agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) members of the Kibudtungan Sugar Farmers Association (KSFA) in Kibudtungan, Carmen, North Cotabato would be able to produce more quality muscovado sugar with the recent turnover of an enhanced processing center, worth Php 350,000, by the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) to help them increase the value of their sugarcane products.

The enhanced processing facility, implemented under the Village Level Farm-focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) Project, rehabilitated the existing village-level processing infrastructure of the association to improve its working environment and to make it compliant with the standard set by the Food and Drugs Administration for them to acquire a license to operate and penetrate a bigger market.

Willy Ampalid, KSFA President, thanked the DAR for continuously supporting them to make their enterprise more functional and competitive.

“With the trust you gave us for this project, rest assured that we will do our best to make the business more sustainable and profitable,” he said.

Ampalid also added that they would register their organization as a cooperative to make their operation dynamic and beneficial to the members.

In previous years, the KSFA also received support from DAR such as the sugarcane juicer, other processing equipment, tractor, and other livelihood support.

Evangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II, divulged that the VLFED project is among the support services provided by the agency to ensure the operationalization and profitability of their chosen enterprise.

“We are helping them to enhance their facility to improve their product quality and increase its marketability to increase their income,” Bueno said.

Meanwhile, Emelita Mayol, OIC-PARPO I and concurrent Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer, emphasized that it would be best for the association to transition into a cooperative so that they could avail more benefits from their enterprise and will have the opportunity to receive dividends and patronage refunds.

“With this enhanced village-level processing center, you can really increase the value of your sugarcane raw material by producing muscovado and other by-products. You can also do business and generate more income for your organization, especially for the ARB members,” Mayol said.

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Grupo ng mga magsasaka sa North Cotabato pinaayos ang processing center para sa mas de-kalidad muscovado sugar

Ang mga agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) na mga miyembro ng Kibudtungan Sugar Farmers Association (KSFA) sa Kibudtungan, Carmen, North Cotabato ay makakapag-prodyus na ng mas de-kalidad na muscovado sugar dahil sa enhanced processing center na nagkakahalagang Php 350,000, na kamakailan ay itinurn-over ng Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) upang makatutulong na mapataas ang halaga ng kanilang mga produkto na tubo.

Ang enhanced processing facility, na ipinatupad sa ilalim ng Village Level Farm-focused Enterprise Development (VLFED) Project, ay nagbigay ng rehabilitasyon sa kanilang kasalukuyang village-level processing infrastructure upang mapagbuti ang kanilang kapaligiran sa pagtatrabaho at makasunod ito sa pamantayang itinakda ng Food and Drugs Administration upang makakuha sila ng license to operate at makapasok sa mas malaking merkado.

Nagpapasalamat si Willy Ampalid, Pangulo ng KSFA, sa DAR sa patuloy nitong pagsuporta upang ang kanilang negosyo ay maging mas functional at competitive.

“Dahil sa tiwalang ibinigay ninyo sa amin para sa proyektong ito, asahan ninyo na pagsisikapan naming ng lubos na mas mapanatili ang aming negosyo mas kumikita,” aniya.

Idinagdag din ni Ampalid na irerehistro nila ang kanilang samahan na maging kooperatiba upang ang kanilang operasyon ay mas lumakas at maging kapaki-pakinabang sa lahat ng kanilang kasapi.

Sa mga nagdaang taon, ang KSFA ay nakatanggap na rin ng iba’t ibang suporta mula sa DAR gaya ng sugarcane juicer, processing equipment, traktora, at iba pang livelihood support.

Ibinunyag ni Evangeline Bueno, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II, na ang VLFED project ay kabilang sa support services ng ahensiya upang matiyak ang maayos na operasyon at kita ng kanilang napiling negosyo.

“Tinutulungan namin silang maisaayos ang kanilang pasilidad upang mapabuti ang kalidad ng kanilang produkto at pataasin ang kakayahang maibenta nito upang madagdagan ang kanilang kita,” ani Bueno.

Samantala, binigyang diin ni Emelita Mayol, OIC-PARPO I at concurrent Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer, na mas makabubuti na ang kanilang samahan ay maging kooperatiba upang mas marami silang maging benepisyo mula sa kanilang negosyo at magkaroon sila ng oportunidad na makatanggap ng mga dibidendo at patronage refund.

“Dahil sa enhanced village-level processing center, mas mapatataas ninyo ang halaga ng inyong sugarcane raw material sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng muscovado sugar at iba pang by-products nito. Mas makakapagnegosyo at makapagbibigay ito ng kita sa inyong organisasyon, lalo na sa inyong mga kasapi,” ani Mayol.

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