The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) has teamed up with other partner agencies to discuss the programs and projects essential to the development of the country’s coconut farmers sector.
Representatives from different agencies gathered on Friday, Nov. 26, in Quezon Province to map up initiatives that will benefit the country’s coconut industry.
The CDA, together with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Agriculture (DA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA), Land Bank of the Philippines, and PhilHealth discussed the programs needed to the development of the coconut farmers sector to help ensure the full implementation of Republic Act No. 11524, otherwise known as the "Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act”.
RA 11524 created the Coconut Farmers Industry Trust Fund (CFTIF), which aims to help millions of farmers and modernize the industry.
The CDA, under the leadership of Undersecretary Joseph B. Encabo, presented the Coconut Farmers Organization and Development through Cooperatives (COCOFARMCOOP) Project.
This project mainly organizes and empowers coconut farmers, their organizations, and cooperatives under the CFITF.
“This CDA-PCA Partnership Project intends to capacitate coconut farmers cooperatives, convert coconut farmers’ associations to cooperatives, organize coconut farmers cooperative federations, and enable cooperatives to participate in supply and value chain processes including the establishment of coconut processing centers,” it added.
The CDA said the initiative was dubbed as the Dialogue Between Farmers Organizations and Implementing Agencies of RA 11524. (Charie Mae F. Abarca)