Press Release

A total of 47 subprojects on rural infrastructure and agriculture, agroforestry, and agribusiness development amounting to 492 million pesos were turned over on February 26 to farmers in Mindanao. Said infrastructure includes farm-to-market roads and bridges in Lanao del Norte and Cotabato; irrigation facilities in Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat; and post-harvest facilities in Lanao del Norte and Cotabato. Among the crops covered by the turned over subprojects are coconut, rice, rubber, corn, coffee, and cacao.

These subprojects are under the ongoing cooperation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) called Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (MINSAAD) Project that seeks to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the agriculture sector in the Philippines.

"There is no doubt about the importance of agriculture to the Philippine economy, with its potential to uplift the lives of Filipino farmers, often among the poorest in the country. Through MinSAAD, JICA aims to lay the foundations our farmers need to maximize agriculture's potential and improve their lives," said JICA Philippines Senior Representative HIROSAWA Jin.

Under MinSAAD, farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries in 27 municipalities in Mindanao stand to benefit through small-scale agriculture infrastructure and capacity building.

The Philippines is an agricultural country, with more than 40% of its 300,000 square kilometer land area allocated to agriculture. Despite this, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Family Income and Expenditure Survey 2015 showed that poverty incidence remains high in the farming sector, at 34.3%.

"By supporting the agriculture sector through MinSAAD, we are optimistic that local farmers can now scale up their production, and expand their markets," added JICA Senior Representative Hirosawa.

Photo shows Mr. HIROSAWA Jin, Senior Representative of JICA, Hon. NAKATA Masahiro, Minister for Economic Affairs of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Hon. John Castriciones, Secretary of DAR, and Mr. Eduardo Suaybaguio, Project Manager of MinSAAD (left to right) during the turn over ceremony in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental. JICA Senior Representative HIROSAWA Jin said that the subprojects are meant to boost the competitiveness and sustainability of the agriculture sector in the Philippines. More than 40% of the Philippines' 300,000 square kilometer land area is allocated to agriculture. Farmers in 27 municipalities in Mindanao stand to benefit from MinSAAD.

A total of 46 subprojects on rural infrastructure and agriculture amounting to 492 million pesos were turned over recently to farmers in Mindanao under the Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (MinSAAD) project of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).