Bridging the Gaps: Linking the Farmers to Appropriate Markets The Kasilak Development Foundation Inc

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Bridging the Gaps Linking the Farmers to
Appropriate MarketsThe Kasilak Development
Foundation Inc. (KDFI) Initiatives and
Experience in Maragusan, Compostela Valley
Province, Philippines
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Joemil Saloma Montebon Executive Director, KDFI
Presentation to the FAO-Vredeseilanden
Sub-Regional Seminar on Enhancing Capacity of
NGOs and Farmers Group in Linking Farmers to
Markets 9-12 May 2006, Bali, Indonesia
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets

• Name of Organization
• Kasilak Development Foundation Inc. (KDFI)
• Date Organized
• Organized in 1997 result of a learning-experience
  from the Libuganon Watershed Project in Davao
  del Norte
• a 500 has. watershed development project
  co-funded by USAID and Dole-Stanfilco
• Nature of Organization duly registered with
  Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a
  non-stock,
• 
  non-profit social development organization
• Membership and Affiliation
• VOICE Network Philippines, a national
  organization of volunteer organizations
• Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) for Mt.
  Kalatungan Range Natural Park
• Sarangani Province Empowerment and Community
  Transformation Forum (SPECTRUM)
• Provincial Areas of Operations Bukidnon, North
  Cotabato, South Cotabato, Davao City,
• 
  Compostela Valley Province, Sarangani
• Partners - Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
  USCCB Philippine Program

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Institutional Programs...
Watershed and Natural Resource Management
Livelihood and Income Augmentation

• Support to Basic Social Services
• Education
• Health

Program Strategies...
Partnership Development and Linkage Building
Program Development and Resource Mobilization
Strengthening of Community-based
Organizations and their structures
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Engaging the Stakeholders Strategic Framework
on Partnership and Community Development
Corporate Sectors/ Business Community
Resource Providers and Donor Community
Other Development Players and/ or Stakeholders
Community
Other Development Players and/ or Stakeholders
Community
Community Development and Environmental Managemen
t
Community
Community
Government Sector i.e. LGU (Mun./ Brgy.)
Govt Line Agencies
Civil Society/ NGOs/ POs Kasilak
Development Foundation Inc. (KDFI)
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Location of Maragusan
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Compostela Valley Province, Region XI

• Situated in the Eastern Mindanao Corridor
  covering
• 11 Municipalities/ Towns
• Elevation Range
• Total land area 54,745 hectares
• - 46,771 Forest/
  Upland Area (85.4 )
• - 7,973 A D (14.6 )

Municipality of Maragusan
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Major Development Concerns...

• Low Agricultural Productivity

• Environmental Degradation

• In adequate Infrastructure

• Limited Access to Basic Social Services

• Underdeveloped Tourism Potentials

Municipality of Maragusan, ComVal Province
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Our Response
The Maragusan Valley Area Resource Development
(MaVARD) Project
communities
communities
communities
Components

• Community Infrastructure Support

• Agriculture-Extension

• Natural-Resource Management

• Agro-Enterprise Development and
• Support to Marketing

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Project Background
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets

• The implementation of MaVARD Project is supported
  by
• CRS-USCCB Philippine Program under its Small
  Farms and Marketing Program together with
  Stanfilco, A Division of Dole Philippines Inc.
  and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Maragusan.
  
• The Maragusan Valley Area Resource Development
  (MaVARD) Project started in February 2005 and has
  two phases
• Phase 1 Community Organizing through
  Participatory Action Research (CO-PAR)
• Phase 2 Implementation of development
  interventions identified in Phase 1
• During the second half of the year, two
  complementary sub-projects were also developed
• Maragusan Integrated Natural Resource
  Conservation and Development (MINARD) Project
• Maragusan Livelihood and Enterprise Development
  Center Project (MLEDC)

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Maragusan Valley Vegetable Flow
Leyte

• Major Crops
• Chayote
• Tomatoes
• Bell Pepper
• Coffee
• Squash
• Beans
• Eggplant

Surigao
Agusan del Norte
Agusan del Sur
Maragusan
Tagum City
Davao City
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Agri-Marketing assistance in Maragusan Valley
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Farmer Level
Institutional Level

• Formation and training of Commodity Groups
  (Clusters) in the partner communities
• Market opportunities identification / Market
  assessment with existing products
• Market visits
• Enterprise design and implementation
• Trial Deliveries, Assessment
• Scaling-up

• Support for the opening and operation of the
  Maragusan Trading Post
• Support for the organization and training of
  commodity-based (Community Vegetable
  Associations, etc.) and sectoral (Rural
  Improvement Club and Municipal Council of Women)
  groups
• Support for the establishment and operation of
  the Maragusan Livelihood and Enterprise
  Development Center
• Support for the training and capacity building
  of key LGU Staff (MEEDO)

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Territorial Approach to Agro-Enterprise/
Marketing A tool for community empowerment and
enterprise development (as adapted in the
Philippines from CIAT-CRS Learning Alliance)

• Site Identification
• Partnership Development
• CRS NGO Farmers LGU Business Sector
• 3. Community Involvement/ Working Group for COPAR
• Data Gathering
• Market Opportunities/Choices
• 4. Enterprise Planning
• 5. Enterprise Plan Implementation
• Test Market (Trial Deliveries)
• Evaluation
• Improvements
• Scaling-Up

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Site/ Area Focused Approach
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Brgy Magcagong
Brgy Saranga
Brgy Mahayahay
Brgy Parasanon
Brgy Tupas
Brgy New Albay
Short-listed major commodities identified
potential farmer partners
Training on Marketing, conducting Market Research
and Economics of Production
Market Research and Market Visit
Vegetable Group
Coffee Group
Vegetable Group
Coffee Group
Vegetable Group
Vegetable Group
Corn Group
Rice Group

• Enterprise design implementation
• Meet and negotiate with supermarkets other
  high value markets for direct farmer deliveries
• Seek assistance from individuals institutions
  who can provide information services
• Assist in the planning with a champion commodity
  team
• Launch a Trial Delivery to a high value market
• Assess the outcome planning for possible
  scaling-up

Nestle Phils., Inc.
B-Meg Corn Supplier
NCCC Mall
Maragusan Wholesalers Retailers
Maragusan Bagsakan
Davao Traders
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Selecting the right crop for the right market
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Short-listing of major commodities
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Learning the Economics of Business Training for
the Commodity Groups
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Training on Marketing, conducting Market Research
and Economics of Production
Farmers were trained on computing Cost of
Production, Product Flow and Market Research
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Benchmarking to other vegetable producing areas
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Training on Marketing, conducting Market Research
and Economics of Production

• Key Government Local Officials and Farmer Leaders
  visited major vegetable producing community in
  Mindanao.

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Market Research and Market Visit
Market Visits by Vegetable Coffee Cluster
Members and learning the art of negotiation
Farmers from the identified Commodity Groups
visited and interviewed and compared potential
buyers. The Farm Manager of Nestle in Tagum
stressing the importance of quality.
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Preparation for the Vegetable Trial Delivery
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Enterprise design implementation
Cluster Members sorting and packing the
vegetables for delivery to one of the major
shopping Mall in Davao City
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Trial Delivery to Davao City Mall
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Delivered vegetables were graded and checked for
quality
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Preparation for Coffee Trial Delivery
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Planning session for volume consolidation with
coffee farmers
Farmers sorting and drying coffee beans to make
sure that it passes the quality standard/
requirement of Nestle Philippines Inc.
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets

• Scale-Up
• Looking at other markets
• Improve farming system to increase production
• Strengthening the Clusters
• Enterprise Planning

Agro-Enteprise

• Marketing Support
• Vegetable Sorting Shed
• Plastic Crates and other packing
• materials
• Weighing Scale

• Agri-Extension Services
• Farmers Field School
• Farm Trial Technology
• Verification
• Cross-Farms Visitation

• Infra. Support
• Community Water System for Household and Farm
  Use
• Farm to market roads
• Multi-Purpose Driers and other post-harvest
  facilities, i.e. warehouse

• Capability-Building
• Market Visits
• Marketing Planning
• Participation in Vegetable Congress
• Maragusan Livelihood and Enterprise
• Development Center (MLEDC)
• Mindanao Agro-Enterprise Learning Alliance

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Construction of Vegetable Sorting Shed
Marketing Support
Provision of Plastic Crates for Vegetables
before
Now
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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Agri-Extension Support
Farmers Field School (FFS) - a 16-weeks
community-based, farmer-oriented farming-learning
system.

• Appropriate/ Sustainable Upland Farming
  Practices
• Promotion of Natural Farming System/ Technology

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Agri-Extension Support
Farmers Field School (FFS) - a 16-weeks
community-based, farmer-oriented farming-learning
system.

• Crop and Cropping System
• Crop Production on a Sustained Yield Management

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Agri-Extension Support
Farmers Field School (FFS) - a 16-weeks
community-based, farmer-oriented farming-learning
system.

• Production Programming among the Vegetable
  Cluster Groups
• to meet and sustain Market Demand/
  Requirement.
• Farmer-participants and Members of the Vegetable
  Clusters are
• provided with seeds support (70 of
  production for the cluster).

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Looking at other Markets
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Capability-Building
Scaling-Up for the Markets
Marketing Planning
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Construction of Maragusan Livelihood and
Enterprise Development Center (MLEDC)
FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Capability-Building

• The Center was designed
• To coordinate all the livelihood/
• enterprise-related activities of the
  municipality.
• To be the venue for all the trainings
• pertaining to community livelihood and
  enterprises
• To be the market facilitation and livelihood
  information center of the municipality.
• The Center is under the Management of Municipal
  Economic and Enterprise Development
• Office (MEEDO)

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Capability-Building

• The Mindanao Agro-Enterprise Learning Alliance
• Workshop (MaELA)
• a Mindanao-wide CRS partner NGOs
  learning-alliance initiative to further the
  objectives of
• Territorial Approach to Rural Agro-enterprise
  Development-Area Based Resource Assessment
• Framework developed by CIAT.

• 1st MAELA WORKSHOP-FORUM in Bukidnon Province
• Territorial Approach to Rural Agro-Enterprise
  Development
• Partnership Development and Cluster Formation
• Planning and Strategizing on market research and
  study

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Lessons Learned

• Cluster Formation/ Capability-Building of
• Farmer Group
• Quantity is power quality is trust
• - Other Farmer Groups have successfully
  penetrated formidable
• markets and grow by leaps and bounds after
  successfully
• organizing themselves.
• Organization is the key
• - Strengths lies in commitment of members in
  the organization.
• - Manage the organization in a business like
  manner.

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Lessons Learned

• Knowing the Market/ Market Familiarization
• Seeing is believing this facilitates better
  understanding and
• appreciation on the part of farmer-partners on
  the market.
• Seek supportive or friendly buyers and
  business service providers
• during test markets when much learning is
  needed.

• Going Back to the Basic
• Integrate Production Programming to Marketing/
• Enterprise Development Planning.
• Matching of volume produce vis a vis market
  requirement

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Lessons Learned

• Engaging other Stakeholders/ Partners and
  Networking
• Seek the expertise of people who are
  knowledgeable in the
• industry. They probably have tried the idea
  that you have in
• mind.
• Secure support from the Local and National
  Government
• Enabling Policies and Programs.

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Challenges and Direction

• Logistics Support
• - Handling
• - Packaging
• - Storage Facility
• - Hauling and Transportation
• Quantity and Quality of Produce
• - Increase and sustain production volume to
  meet
• and sustain market requirement.

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets
Challenges and Direction

• Strengthening of clusters
• - Enhancing organization and
• enterprise management capabilities
• of farmer-clusters
• Scaling-up
• - Expand participation of farmers and
  formation of
• clusters in the other barangays to address
  
• volume requirement of the market as well as
  to
• access other markets in other locations

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FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Subregional Seminar on
Enhancing NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers
to Markets

• Sustaining the Initiative
• - Building and enhancing capacities of NGO
  and partner
• communities to sustain the initiative.
• - Engaging more development institutions and
  resource
• providers as partners.

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Maraming Salamat po!