PCCI teams up with DTI, DA for farmers’ market access

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has teamed up with two government agencies to improve market access of small farmers.

PCCI signed last week a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to promote the increase in livelihood income and create more employment opportunities for small farmers and fishermen by further improving the access of their products and services to the domestic and export markets.

PCCI president George Barcelon said the collaboration will harmonize their market-accessing activities under the DA’s Agribusiness Support for the Promotion and Investment in Regional Expo (Aspire) project.

Barcelon said a collective action with the small-scale farmers will result in lowering production and transaction costs and true market prices.

Four regions will be piloting Aspire this year—Regions 3, 5, 6 and 12. Full implementation is targeted next year.

Under the Aspire project, the two government agencies and PCCI will harmonize activities such as informing small farmers about the demand, standards and delivery preferences that attract buyers, sharing market knowledge, organizing for trade fairs, attending seminars to learn negotiations skills, and preparing them for business matching and investment forums.

Implementation targets, meanwhile, call for each of the country’s regions to make at least one marketing agreement for three priority commodities, enrollment of 75 percent of Aspire farmer participants in the RIPPLES PLUS program of DTI annually, and at least two marketing agreements renewed or expanded.