The six-year Philippine Rural Development Project’s ongoing implementation now covers 12 commodities across the Mindanao regions.

A total of P387 million budget is allocated to champion commodities which include cacao with P85.02 million, coconut with P44.13 million, Rice with P40.54 million, Abaca worth P38.91 million, Banana worth P37.19 million, Cassava worth P36.19 million, Rubber worth P36.15 million, seaweeds worth P26.70 million, coffee worth P25.57 million , goat worth P11.13 million, swine worth 4.76 million, and bangus worth P1.16 million.

Of all these commodities, cacao has the largest share of investment equivalent to 22% of the total enterprise development approved portfolio.

“This high value crop remained to be on top of the list in terms of capital investment as more proponent groups, association, and farmers recognized the value of this commodity in terms of local and international market demand,” said PRDP Deputy Project Director Danilo T. Alesna.

The Investment in Rural Enterprise and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity (IREAP) component in Mindanao has P621.22 million total portfolio and it has the second largest share to the enterprise cost at 28% next to Luzon A (North Luzon).

“The IREAP component of PRDP aims to elevate agricultural production by installing production and market support facilities, establishing enterprises and upscaling product at the appropriate commodity value chain,” said DPDP Alesna.

To date, there are two completed IREAP subprojects amounting to P9.57 million with 18 proponent groups (PGs) and 477 direct beneficiaries; 24 subprojects are still ongoing worth P213.99 million with 88 proponent groups and 9,543 beneficiaries; and 58 subprojects are still under procurement worth P177.97 million with 63 proponent groups and 6, 838 beneficiaries.

In terms of regional shares, Region 12 has the largest investment worth P250 million or 40% of the total I-Reap cost.

Using the value-chain analysis, the project is able to provide farmer-entrepreneurs relevant inputs to identify and develop the linkage and interrelationships to create value, profitability and competitive advantage of a certain commodity. (Joy M. Montecalvo)

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