Business and Economy
DA urges farmers to become agripreneurs
The Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)-Negosyo, has urged farmers in Davao Region to become agripreneurs through participation in a coaching and mentoring program for Agriculture, dubbed as Kapatid Agri Mentoring Program (KAMP) (PNA Photo)
The Department of Agriculture (DA), in partnership with Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE)-Negosyo, has urged farmers in Davao Region to become agripreneurs through participation in a coaching and mentoring program for Agriculture, dubbed as Kapatid Agri Mentoring Program (KAMP) .
GO-Negosyo, a pilot project of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), sealed its partnership with DA for this year’s KAMP implementation.
Kapatid Mentor Me is a 12-week coaching session for micro and small entrepreneurs.
Mentees for the program will be selected from farmers’ cooperatives by the respective officials of DA.
DA 11 director Ricardo Oñate Jr. said the program is timely since there is a need for the farmers to embrace change and they will no longer be mere producers of raw materials but they can market their own products and improve their income as well.
“As we promote value chain and market-oriented agriculture, it’s time for our farmers to be transformed into agri-entrepreneurs,” Oñate adds.
He said the mentorship program is an indication that the business success is not actually exclusive but more inclusive and once shared, more people can benefit.
“That is why mentoring is essential for them [farmers]. We need to improve their practices, teach them techniques and introduce them to agricultural technologies and instill in their minds on how to become successful agripreneurs,” Oñate stressed.
The launching of the program expects to match agri-enterprises with big companies and eventually upscales Agri micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Agriculture is one of the sectors that they want to equip and empower because as an agricultural country, it has all the resources and market for crops and other agri products.
