Despite the threat of Typhoon Kristine in Ilocos Region, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office I (DA-RFO I) through its F2C2 Program or the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation successfully conducted the 3 day F2C2 Summit at The Monarch Hotel in Calasiao, Pangasinan.

Held on October 23-25, the Summit gathered around 120 agri stakeholders in its aim to strengthen farmers groups and associations in the region through clustering and consolidation.

F2C2 National Director Ricardo Oñate in his message during the opening program recognized the importance of conducting activities such as the Summit as it provides an avenue for farmers group to interact and engage with other farmer- association while establishing linkage to DAs partners group for possible collaboration.

With the 1,492 validated F2C2 clusters involving around more than 600 thousand farmers with covered area of about 814,460 hectares in the country, Dir. Oñate reiterated the importance of the Provincial led Agriculture and Fishery Extension System (PAFES) as a partner of the F2C2 to provide agri-fishery development programs especially on providing grant and credit programs to all the cluster cooperatives and farmers group in the region.

F2C2 Focal Person in the region, Mr. Juanito Malazo, Jr briefed the participants on the major issues and concerns of the FCAs in the region and discussed how the DA through the F2C2 Program is providing the necessary support to farmers groups and cooperatives.

The provision of institutional markets for farmers and fishers groups, working capital, production inputs and better mechanization programs are among the major concerns raised and discussed through the Summit.

Providing the attendees some updates and information on the various programs and projects of the DA’s agency partners, each agency representatives was given an opportunity to discuss salient programs and projects which the farmers group may avail of.

Institutional buyers like the Dizon Farm, the

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (DSWD – EPAHP) were likewise given time to discuss their requirements and demand for a particular commodity that would provide guidance to the farmer-group attendees on what crop to plant at a certain period and other relevant information that they may be able to consider in the next cropping season.#