The Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) extends socio-developmental aid to the sugar workers and dependents beyond the Four Pillars.
Under the SIFI’s special project Responsible Sourcing from Smallholders (RSS) Program in Negros Occidental, the Productivity Aid to Group of Small Farmers Improve their C(K)rop, or better known as PAGSIK, produced their top grossing ARBOs for 2023, namely:
Nabinay Agrarian Reform Cooperative (NARC), Guin-olayan Agrarian Reform Cooperative (GARC), Defuego 2 Multipurpose Agriculture & Farmers Association (DFMPAFA), San Juan Torena Agrarian Reform Cooperative (SJTARC), Asuncion Agrarian Reform Cooperative (AARCO), Progreso Agrarian Reform Cooperative (PARC), DEARCO, Cotcot Upland Farmers & Farmworkers Association (CUFFA), and Nabutaan Brgy. Jonob-jonob Farmers Association (NABAJFA).
The 13 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBO) under RSS continue to operate their vegetable gardens. From the 13 ARBOs, 5 started just this year. Aside from that, 9 have started harvesting, while the rest are nearing their harvesting stage.
Among the 9 harvesting vegetable gardens, NARC gained the highest gross harvest sales at Php 121,685.
NARC, a PAGSIK vegetable garden since 2022, has also practiced chemical-free gardening this year.
Following NARC as the second highest grosser is GARC with Php 99,915. Continuing their harvest, they shall reach more than the Php100,000 gross target for this year.
The third highest grosser comes from DFMPAFA – with Php 67,320 gathered on their end of cycle. According to Romel Cortones, SIFI-RSS Junior Agriculturist, DFMPAFA’s selling price is relatively higher than NARC due to their proximity to the urban market.
The remaining 6 ARBOs are continuing their harvest as of date. Majority of the vegetable gardens grow eggplants, bitter gourd or ampalaya, pechay, sitao, and squash.
PAGSIK also provides technical assistance to ARBOs with scheduled virtual and onsite monitoring.
