In time for the holiday season, three (3) farmer groups in the Province of Pangasinan received trading capital from the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) on December 20, 2019.

Alcala Onion Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AOGMPC)

The Alcala Onion Growers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AOGMPC) received Php536,800 as trading capital for its Yellow Granex Onion Production, Consolidation and Marketing Enterprise worth Php6,637,178 (including 20% proponent group equity).

The AOGMPC is engaged in the production and marketing of onions and lowland vegetables with 64 members. Its enterprise aims to increase the income of farmers through efficient and sustainable distribution of vegetable commodities particularly onions directly to the end-markets. It has already established a clustering approach on its production to sustain the requirements of their markets. The members have three (3) clustered areas composed of 13 onions and lowland vegetable producing barangays in the municipality of Alcala, Pangasinan.

As an eligible supplier, the Alcala Onion Growers MPC is presently linked with Jollibee Foods Corporation supplying yellow granex of at least 10,000 kilograms weekly through the delivery truck it received from the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP). Before receiving a delivery truck from PRDP, the cooperative has to hire a reefer van to deliver to JFC’s storage in Canlubang, Laguna.
The cooperative is also a member of the Pangasinan High Value Crop (Vegetable) Growers Association, MPCI, the association of vegetable growers in the province and the identified operator of the Pangasinan Agri-Pinoy Trading Center located in Urdaneta City, which is also the distribution market of the members.

Through the PRDP enterprise, the AOGMPC aims to reverse the plight of the local onion growers by not merely focusing on production of onion. It shall be participating along the value chain segments by way of distributing their own produce directly to markets without limitation on the logistics to be used in the distribution activities with a reduction in marketing cost ranging from 29 to 50 percent depending on the source and the destination of the commodities. Moreover, the enterprise shall contribute in the country’s deficiency in supply of onion and help address manipulation of prices in the direct distribution of produce from farm to markets.

The enterprise shall play a crucial role to help address the waning situation of the onion industry for the stabilization of prices, through direct distribution of the members’ produce to the local markets. In effect, given the needed government intervention on logistics to reach their market, the enterprise will alleviate the present plight of the farmers.

Tugui Grande Fresh Produce Farmers Association

Tugui Grande also received trading capital from the PRDP amounting to Php879,900. It will use the trading capital to encourage more farmers to join its contract growing enterprise. With the trading capital, Tugui Grande can pay tomato farmers immediately after the delivery of tomatoes to the consolidation facility instead of waiting for the payment of Jollibee.

Tugui Grande is a farmer organization operating in the Municipality of Bani, Pangasinan and mainly grows palay and tomato. It started the business of supplying tomatoes to Jollibee in 2012. However for the past six years, the same problem plagued the members of the Association – that is the lack of farm equipment.

Hoping to solve their problems in farm equipment, the Tugui Grande members proposed for the Salad Tomato Contract Farming and Support Service Facility before the Regional Project Advisory Board (RPAB) in 2017. The existing linkage of the Tugui Grande to Jollibee provided an opportunity to venture into contract farming where production inputs, land preparation equipment, hauling, and trading services are availed by members and non-members in the area.

Tugui Grande’s tomato enterprise has a total project cost of Php7,190,175 (including a 20% proponent group equity). Through the PRDP tomato enterprise, members of the Tugui Grande received tomato seeds, seedling trays, farm tractor, multi-cultivator, knapsack sprayer, pump engine, grass cutter, and weighing scales. The Association also received a trading post worth Php2,892,000, The trading post will house the consolidation activities of the tomato enterprise.

In 2019, Tugui Grande harvested its first batch of tomatoes to be delivered to Jollibee with PRDP intervention. Tugui Grande’s treasurer Mr. Valentino Catabay attested to the increase in yield of tomato plants with the use of the new farm equipment. He is also positive that the Association’s future is looking up because of PRDP’s interventions. “Daytoy nga dakkel ti naitulong ti PRDP kanya mi, daytoy association mi, dakkel ti masangwanan, dakkel ti pagrang-ayan na ta adda usaren mi nga makinarya. Ken barbareng nu umadu pay ti umay kanya mi, dakkel ti maitulong daytoy kadagiti tattao. Adu ti maitulong ti PRDP.” [With the interventions of the PRDP, our Association has better future and more opportunities to grow because we now have machineries. If more interventions would come to our Association, it will be a great help for the people. The PRDP helps a lot.]

Urdaneta City Organic Farming, Rice, Corn Vegetable Growers Association, Inc.

The Urdaneta City Growers operates a trading post at the frequented PAPTC in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan. It is the proponent of the Tomato Production, Consolidation and Trading Enterprise worth Php4,739,590. Through its enterprise under the PRDP, the Urdaneta City Growers hope to stabilize the price of tomatoes in the market.

The Urdaneta City Growers received 175 cans of tomato seeds worth Php428,750 and 105 packs of soil medium worth Php136,500, seedling trays, hose, plastic crates, plastic pallets and a delivery truck worth Php2,150,000.

All three enterprises have been 100% completed in 2019. The Province of Pangasinan has the most number of enterprises proposed under the PRDP.