Challenge
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for 25% of the country’s labor force and contributes to about 10% to the gross national product. It is the major employer of the rural population, and its transformation is critical for the country’s inclusive growth and job creation. However, its transformation has been slow due to (a) low productivity and value addition; (b) impacts of climate change causing decline in yields and production areas; and (c) poor connectivity and logistics gap. These result to high transport and logistical costs, high volume of food losses in the country, and high food prices. Food cost remains high which is one of the triggers for inflation.
Approach
The PRDP aims to increase rural incomes and enhance farm and fishery productivity in the targeted areas. Project interventions start with the Provincial Local Government Units (LGUs) preparing their Provincial Commodity Investment Plans (PCIPs) according to their agri-fishery priorities. The PCIPs are developed based on science-based studies prepared under the project such as value chain analysis, expanded vulnerability and suitability assessment, climate risk vulnerability assessments, and geotagging, among others to strategically guide public investments toward a modern, value-chain oriented and climate-resilient agri-fisheries sector. Based on the PCIPs, the project provides capacity building/technical assistance as well as financial investments for agri-fisheries enterprise and infrastructure subprojects proposed by LGUs and/or Producers’ Groups composed of farmers/fisherfolk’s associations.
Results
The project has helped raise rural incomes, enhance farm and fishery productivity, and improve market access throughout the country since it started in late 2014. Below are key project accomplishments:
- Assisted about 1.553 million beneficiaries nationwide (39% are women-beneficiaries).
- Supported the preparation of PCIPs in all 81 provinces of the country.
- Constructed and/or rehabilitated over 2,362 kilometers of farm-to-market roads which resulted in a reduction of travel time by 66% and reduction in transport costs by 52%.
- Increased by 26% the annual household real income.
The Tibolo Farm Workers Association (TIFWA), an Indigenous Peoples’ (IP) association in Mindanao belonging to the Bagobo Tagabawa Tribe, has received PRDP assistance for their "Green Coffee Beans Processing and Marketing Enterprise Subproject". The assistance helped TIFWA increase their capacity to produce high quality coffee beans which is the main source of livelihood for their 103 IP members and their families. It also improved their confidence to work together and enabled them to compete in the local market and make their initial mark in the international coffee market.
