Quedancor expands, puts up 45 offices nationwide

Millions of farmers, fishers and agricultural workers are expected to receive better financing support from the government as Quedancor, the Department of Agriculture’s credit and guarantee arm, intensifies its credit operations nationwide.

Having received the approval from the Department of Budget and Management, Quedancor has fasttracked the establishment of 45 district offices in key cities and municipalities nationwide to complement its existing 14 regional centers. DBM’s approval was based on the immediate need to implement a number of latest innovative lending programs certified as urgent and as priorities of the Arroyo administration.

The lending programs for the agriculture sector being prioritized by the government are: The Unlad Ani Hybrid Rice Cultivation Project, Ginintuang Masaganang Ani-Countrywide Assistance for Rural-Urban Employment and Services (GMA-CARES) financing programs for Inbred Rice, Hybrid Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Coconut Smallholders, Palm Oil and Coffee Rehabilitation and Development. The successful implementation of these programs will help government create a million jobs in the countryside as well as provide better incomes to the target beneficiaries.

The aggressive implementation of these programs requires the creation of a number of new offices nationwide that will serve as the center of operations in key cities and municipalities. These offices require the appropriate personnel complement in order to effectively carry-out the agency’s operations.

To date, Quedancor has a total manpower of 913 employees nationwide, most of whom are operations officers who directly reach out to the farmers, fishers, retailers and the urban and rural poor that need accessible and low-interest bearing loans provided by the agency.

According to Quedancor President and CEO Nelson C. Buenaflor, 16 new offices have been established in the entire Mindanao and the remaining 29 offices are being shared by the Visayas and Luzon Regions. "It is imperative to complement these offices with personnel who will man and perform the day-to-day functions of the agency in order to effectively implement the government’s priority lending programs for the agriculture sector."

Buenaflor likewise reported that in view of its intensified program implementation, it has already provided financing orientation seminars to 10,746 self-reliant famrers, 54,307 urban/rural poor and 28,969 hybrid rice farmers nationwide who intend to avail of the various priority lending programs the agency offers. To date, the office has already generated P28.09 billion agricultural credit to more 3.77 million farmers, fisherfolk, food and market retailers, small-scale entrepreneurs and urban and rural poor nationwide.