Mainstreaming the Project’s innovations is one of the objectives of DA’s Philippine Rural Development Project.

The value Chain analysis is among the science-based planning tools that PRDP Mindanao has rolled out to planners to DA Regional offices, provincial planning units, and DA attached agencies.  The training guided by technical experts include modules on Rapid Market Appraisal, identification of constraints, opportunities and proper interventions, industry benchmarking and commodity chain mapping.

“To say the least, it was not easy. But it was insightful that I am fully capacitated to improve the planning for priority interventions for specific commodities in our region,” says RPCO 10 planning specialist Lourdes Rudinas.

Through this training, PRDP Mindanao has produced VCA for Sardines and Tuna for Regions 9, 12 and Caraga, Lanzones for Region 10, Mangosteen for ARMM and Durian for Region 11.

Many municipalities and provinces are able to make use of the Value Chain Analysis (VCA) provides farmer-entrepreneurs relevant inputs to identify and develop the linkages and interrelationships between activities that create value, profitability and competitive advantage of a certain commodity along the segments of the value chain.

“The VCA training filled in the gap in studying about the commodity. Agriculture has a lot of commodities and these commodities are at different levels of development which are difficult to describe. But with VCA, we can look into the very details of each commodity,” said Rudinas.

For the RPCO Caraga IPLAN component head Jodel Tabada, the innovations introduced by PRDP to the province really helped them in planning and crafting proposals for new projects that will address the challenges in the agricultural sector.

“We used science based tools in crafting our AFMP like the value chain analysis in identifying our proposed interventions especially on the constraints and opportunities of the particular commodity,” said Jodel Tabada.

VCA also drives improvement in many provinces where they are able to see more potentials on each segment of the value chain that they can introduced development.

“The Value Chain Analysis is very much helpful for the province. It inspires some of the municipalities to look into the potential of the tuna industry and the impact of establishing fishport to propel the economic condition of the province,” said Caraga IPLAN Focal Person Francisca De Guzman.