Thirty agrarian reform beneficiaries in Romblon have completed a Department of Agrarian Reform training program designed to help farmers turn their agricultural activities into more sustainable and profitable businesses.
The participants, all members of the Agrarian Reform Cooperative of Agpudlos (ARCA), graduated from DAR’s Farm Business School program during a ceremony on September 3 at the San Andres Covered Court in Poblacion, San Andres, Romblon.
The training was conducted beginning in August and focused on practical skills that farmers can use to manage their farms as viable enterprises. Participants studied business planning, financial management, marketing and sustainable farming practices.
DAR said the Farm Business School is part of its continuing effort to strengthen the entrepreneurial and business capabilities of agrarian reform beneficiaries and their organizations. The program is intended to help farmers improve productivity while developing the skills needed to manage income-generating agricultural ventures.
The program also fits into DAR’s broader Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development and Sustainability Program, which provides support aimed at improving farm productivity, strengthening farmer organizations and expanding access to credit and other services.
DAR Romblon Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Rogelio D. Madarcos, who served as guest of honor, encouraged the graduates to apply what they learned to their farming activities. He emphasized hard work, perseverance and resilience as they develop their farms into businesses.
The graduates are expected to use their new knowledge in areas such as farm planning, managing finances, finding markets and adopting sustainable production practices. DAR said these improvements could also strengthen ARCA as a cooperative and contribute to higher profitability for its members.
Representatives from ARCA, the San Andres local government, the Provincial Agrarian Reform Coordinating Committee and the Department of Agriculture attended the graduation ceremony, reflecting the role of inter-agency and local partnerships in supporting agrarian reform beneficiaries.
For the 30 farmers, the training marks a shift from simply producing agricultural commodities toward managing farms with a stronger business perspective. The next challenge will be turning the lessons from the Farm Business School into sustainable enterprises that can generate more stable income for their families and communities.
