www.asianfarmers.org

By Jerome Dumlao

The country’s food security was at the forefront of discussions during the 2^nd International Fund for Agriculture (IFAD) Philippine Partners Knowledge and Learning Market (KLM) held on October 28-30 in Pasig City.

A fitting follow-up to the first edition held last year, this year’s IFAD-KLM brought together major players in the country’s rural development scene to raise awareness on the burgeoning crisis on food prices, define various measures needed to prevent its escalation, and discuss approaches for sustainability.

Representatives from government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations who have been working with IFAD in the Philippines were on hand during the three-day conference.

Secretaries Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture (DA) (who sent a representative) and Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), as well as Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison-Maglaya of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were invited to take part in a panel discussion on “Unstable Food Prices, Food Security and Self-Sufficiency”, the highlight of the 2^nd day.

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By Tsai Shu Hui, AFA
To help us understand better the marketing project in Asia and get comments and feedback on the initial concept, AFA called for a roundtable discussion last October 3, 2008.

Twelve (12) participants attended from different organizations such as, AsiaDHRRA, PAKISAMA and AFA secretariat. The RTD was held at the AsiaDHRRA Office, in Quezon City, Philippines.

Farmer leaders from PAKISAMA gave useful ideas on the marketing proposal which will be drafted by AFA. (Photo by Tsai Shu Hui, AFA)

by Soc Banzuela, PAKISAMA

Quezon City, Philippines — Most Congresspeople who like to kill the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program and are pushing for its non extension have been saying that agrarian reform failed.

20 PAKISAMA Executive Committee members and top management staff, together with 15 leaders of the PAKISAMA-Bicol member organizations, and two staff of Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) undertook a 2-day study tour to the Pecuaria Development Cooperative, Inc (PDCI), in Bula, Camarines Sur.

They were further convinced. Agrarian reform has to be fully and completely implemented in the country if we really want to develop as a country.

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by Tsai Shu Hui, AFA

Quezon City, Philippines — In pursuit of a more relevant stay in the Philippines and a desire to contribute their talents to the cause of farmers, 2 volunteers from Korea who have been staying in the country the past 6 months decided to join the AFA secretariat as volunteers.

Mr. Seo Sung Il (Johney), a chemical engineering graduate with work experience in marketing and Ms. Lee Sun Mi (Julie), an industrial design graduate with experience in advertising work, will be in-charge of designing AFA’s new logo and improving the design of the AFA website.

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FNN, in cooperation with CEDAC, conducted a 3-day training workshop on “Shop Cooperatives” last November 2007 in Phnom Penh under AFA’s technical assistance project.

It was attended by 60 participants, 17 of whom are women, from 9 provinces in Cambodia. It covered topics such as the process and concept of shop cooperatives, concept of business, how to calculate profit, gross-net income and gross-net profit, bookkeeping and recording, and basics of a shop cooperative.

The following are the tools used in the training, which have been translated into English:

Instruction Manual for Bookkeeping System.doc

Financial Report Format

Book keeping format

The project proposal entitled “Strengthening Advocacy and Enhancement for Membership Development (AFA 2007-2008)” was approved by Agriterra. Activities to be supported under this project include (1) consultations as well as dialogues with governments, both at the national and regional levels, on trade related issues; (2) technology transfers; (3) technical assistance; (4) training workshops on campaign management ; (5) leadership development sessions; and (6) secretariat core operations.

The Non-Chemical Vegetables Plantation Group, a SorKorPor member in Srakaew province, eastern Thailand recently opened with a formal ceremony. The group has 100 farmers from 4 districts, each district having 25 farmers.

The group plants Thai herbs like Hwan-nam, Ro-tin or Hung-hli, Borapet, Ton-Hnon-tay-yark, Sa-dau, Ta-kri-hom, Tobacco leaf, etc. without the use of chemical insecticides.

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