DA, JICA to improve vegetable value chain

MANILA, Philippines — The Japanese government will aid the Philippines in improving the income of vegetable farmers.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan’s bilateral aid arm, and the Department of Agriculture (DA) forged a new technical cooperation to improve the local vegetable value chain and boost farmers’ income.

JICA and DA signed the Project for Market-Driven Enhancement of Vegetable Value Chain in the Philippines (MV2C) to be piloted in select vegetable producing provinces in the country.

The project will come up with a vegetable value chain roadmap that will identify major bottlenecks, provide solutions, and distinguish the roles of each stakeholder along the value chain.

It is also in line with the government’s efforts to address the negative impact of the pandemic on farmers’ livelihoods.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations earlier said the pandemic has worsened the challenges faced by the Philippine agriculture sector including low income and disengaged value chain.

The pandemic is also seen impacting the sector through reduced production, and food inaccessibility, among others.

“The pandemic has worsened food insecurity in the country. Our cooperation with DA will hopefully help improve the food value chain in the Philippines by establishing an inclusive business model for local vegetable farmers and a roadmap to fill the gaps in the value chain,” JICA senior representative Ayumu Ohshima said.

JICA will send Japanese consultants to determine and introduce appropriate technology solutions, and to eventually pilot the developed inclusive business models in target vegetable producing provinces.

The farm sector in the country accounts for a 10th of economic output, employing nearly 10 million workers or 23 percent of total jobs in the Philippines.

With the project, vegetable farmers are expected to increase their productivity and income, while helping improve the country’s food security situation.

Since the 1960s, JICA has been supporting the farm sector through building basic rural infrastructure such as farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, and irrigation systems in agrarian reform communities.