To sustain and scale-up local agribusinesses and open more economies in the time of the new normal, Agriculture Secretary William Dar inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Go Negosyo and the LandBank of the Philippines (LBP) for the promotion of inclusive growth through financial inclusivity and accessibility of agrientreprenuers, farmers, and fishers, mentored under the Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP).
KAMMP is a mentoring program, which aims to nurture and sustain agribusiness in the country through coaching and mentoring. It is implemented through collaborations with various government entities including the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute.
Through a virtual ceremonial signing, the three institutions committed to continue to support and provide innovations for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and improve the lives of the Filipino people amidst the challenges of the COVID-19.
The initiative aims to promote inclusive growth by promoting financial accessibility and focusing on the three M’s principles of Go Negosyo: Money, Market, and Mentor.
Secretary Dar, who served as a KAMMP mentor, pledged his full support to the initiative, stressing the need to multiply and promulgate MSMEs in the agriculture sector.
“Agripreneurship unleashes the potential of Philippine agriculture to make it more resilient, and continue to be a dependable contributor to the economy. We need to promote more agripreneurship under the new normal environment,” he said.
The agri chief added that the department will continue to seek better ways and innovate to transform food producers into agripreneurs and populate the agribusiness ecosystem.
In spite of the challenges of the times, Sec. Dar said that the DA will identify ideas and projects that support agripreneurship and vowed to cover more grounds to expand the services of the government to more farmers and fishers.
For his part, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Secretary Joey Concepcion said that one of the goals of the initiative is to open the economy and enable it to co-exist with Covid-19.
“If we can do that, the future of the Philippines will be bright. I am optimistic with what we are doing right now,” Concepcion said.
LBP President Cecille Borromeo said that the financial institution has continuously designed credit windows and financial assistance packages, custom-made for the needs of agriculture to widen credit access of farmers, fishers, and MSMEs.
“We will continue with our designated role, by providing accessible and credible credit assistance and pursue a perfect synergy of pursuing purposive initiatives in the time of the pandemic,” she said. ### (Adora Rodriguez, DA-AFID)
