BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Agriculture - Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Negros has partnered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to help farmers in Negros Occidental access a broader market and improve their income.
Their collaboration was formalized through three separate memoranda of understanding (MOUs) in line with implementing the Rice Business Innovations System (RiceBIS) 2.0 Program, aimed at empowering farmer cooperatives and associations, and ensuring that rice farmers gain improved income opportunities, stronger organizational capacity, and wider market access.
The MOUs signing, held at the PhilRice Negros Station in Barangay Cansilayan, Murcia on Monday, was led by PhilRice Negros Branch Director Ommal Abdulkadil, DTI-Negros Occidental Director Lynna Joy Cardinal, and Senior Agrarian Reform Program Officer of DAR-Negros Occidental I-North.
In an interview on Tuesday, Cardinal said the signing of the MOU renews the DTI’s commitment to supporting the entrepreneurial development and the strengthening of income-generating projects of Negrense farmers.
“We appreciate this invaluable collaboration on the RiceBIS Program. Since 2021, DTI - Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program has been assisting rice farmers in partnership with DA-PhilRice Negros,” she added.
Cardinal said that through the initiative, farmer-communities have been empowered through improved productivity, business development, and market expansion.
Under the MOU, the DTI will extend support through entrepreneurial training, business consultancy services, and assistance in the registration of intellectual property, envisioned to help farmers make their products market-ready, legally protected, and geared for sustainable growth.
Meanwhile, the DAR committed to strengthening farmer organizations by providing market linkage opportunities, access to relevant technologies, and technical inputs for the development of organizational building course modules in enhancing the capacity of farmer cooperatives and associations.
In a statement, Labrador said that the DAR and PhilRice have joined forces through the RiceBIS 2.0 Program to bring greater opportunities to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Negros Occidental.
“With PhilRice providing modern rice technologies and training and DAR supporting farmers through capacity-building and market access, this partnership is designed to help ARBs improve their harvests, earn better incomes, and build stronger, more resilient farming communities,” he added.
PHILRICE PHOTO
