The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), AgriCord, and AsiaDHRRA conducted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) on 19-20 May 2023 with Matulatula Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative (MARCCO), an AsiaDHRRA partner farmers’ organization (FO) located in Matulatula, Pola, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.
IFAD’s representative Ms. Digna Orduña Manzanilla conducted a series of FGD with the cooperative’s member farmers, board, and traders on topics related to livelihood, training needed, women and youth participation, membership, policies, and activities engagement in the community. Likewise, issues on the importance of business plans and knowledge sharing were highlighted during the meeting.
More importantly, the discussion surrounds the cooperative’s waste management practices and farmers’ persistent challenges in their production processes. Mr. Zidni Marohombsar, IFAD representative, and AgriCord’s Mr. Kris Goossenaerts conducted KII concerning the FO’s financial system.
A visit with calamansi, vegetable, and swine farms was also coordinated by MARCCO’s General Manager, Ms. Christie Marasigan, with the inclusion of advisory services and story harvesting documented by AsiaDHRRA’s Senior Program Manager, Mr. Florante Villas, and KM Officer Ms. Celilu Bitong.
The activity was part of IFAD’s Supervision and Implementation System (SIS) Mission on FOs supported by the Farmers’ Organization for Asia (FO4A), a programme in collaboration with AgriCord and funded by EU-IFAD.
