ORGANIC RICE AND FERTILIZER VALUE CHAIN FORUM

Transcription

1 PHILIPPINE FAMILY FARMERS AGRICULTURE FISHERY FORESTRY COOPERATIVES FEDERATION Room 202/203 Agapito Butz Aquino Building, #90 Balete Drive Extension, Kristong Hari, Quezon City, Philippines 6000 (632) ORGANIC RICE AND FERTILIZER VALUE CHAIN FORUM Background Organic farming is a very viable enterprise it adopts a production system that lowers costs, lessens risks, and adds value to the crops of farmers. Aside from health and environmental benefits, organic agriculture has the potential to liberate small family farms from poverty. Lower production costs and value-added to crops also reduce the burden of women in their central roles as managers of household health, nutrition and food security. A milestone was achieved when the government passed the Organic Agriculture Law (RA 10068). Section 2 declares that it is the policy of the State to promote, propagate, develop and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines. As well, the Philippines observes the National Rice Awareness Month every November to raise an appreciation for the importance of the grain in providing food and in helping alleviate poverty among Filipinos. This year s National Rice Awareness Month 2018 showcases rice as the bond that brings farmers and consumers together towards achieving quality life. It encourages farmers to produce quality rice, instills the value of responsible rice consumption among consumers, and enjoins public influencers to promote the advocacy. An Organic Rice Producer Co-ops Forum organized by the Pambansang Kilusan ng Mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) since 2014 shows the following profile a) rice co-ops membership ranges from 100 to 2,000 members, with 40-50% of their members women; b) the more established co-ops have total assets of Php38-75 million; c) the co-ops are engaged in both organic and commercial rice production and in trading and related services, e.g. credit, organic fertilizer processing, hauling; milling; d) the volume of organic rice production is estimated at less than 10% of their total rice production; e) the co-ops encourage members to produce healthy organic rice and to shift to climate-resilient Integrated Diversified Organic Farming System (IDOFS) / organic farming. The major challenges that they have identified include: the lack of or inadequate government support for organic producers, including limited extension services; lack of community-based organic input supply; low price of palay (paddy rice); lack of financing; climate change; no crop insurance; how to sustain members interest in organic rice production; expensive and needlessly complex process of certification. Organic rice producers have proposed various measures to address their current situation: a) Increase budget allocated to National Organic Agriculture Program; b) Strengthen the

2 Organic Agriculture Law to become more responsive to the needs of smallholder family farmers; c) Promote the role and contribution of young family farmers and women in organic agriculture; d) Support the establishment of community-based organic input supply centers (e.g. bioorganic fertilizer production, seed banking) and explore opportunities to link with commercial producers; e) strengthen agricultural extension and research and development services; f) Support the establishment of DRR-CCA resilient learning farms; g) Promote value chain approach in organic rice production; h) Increase social protection for organic rice family farmers and their crops; i) Complete the implementation of the agrarian reform program; j) Pass a National Land Use Act to stop the conversion of farmlands into residential/ commercial/ industrial purposes. The 2018 Organic Rice and Fertilizer Value Chain Forum What Works To Increase Farmers Income in Organic Rice Production? provides a venue where organic rice and fertilizer producer cooperatives meet and discuss current realities and challenges that must be addressed with other stakeholders and partners that support the organic rice full value chain system. The overall objective is to analyze why the rice organic farmers were not expanding as against their commercial rice production and strategize how we, as advocates of organic agriculture, can collectively address the systemic barriers to commercializing organic rice and fertilizer production and offer solutions. Event Title Dates Venue Objectives and Expected Outputs EVENT DESCRIPTION 2018 ORGANIC RICE AND FERTILIZER VALUE CHAIN FORUM WHAT WORKS TO INCREASE FARMERS INCOME IN ORGANIC RICE PRODUCTION? November 28-29, :00 am 6:00 pm Max s Restaurant, Scout Tuazon, Quezon City At the end of the two-day forum the following will be accomplished: 1. Presented a consolidated situationer, experiences, and challenges in organic rice full value chain and commercializing organic fertilizer production within the areas of operation of the CSA PAKISAMA assisted cooperatives and their view on the Rice Crisis in the Philippines; 2. Discussed comprehensively the actual rice situation in the Philippines and determined mitigating measures to alleviate the problems 3. Planned resolutions to the following specific challenges of the organic rice producers: Assured supply of good quality organic rice seeds Continuous supply of good quality organic fertilizer Need for capital for production and trading activities

3 Need for common facilities (e.g., warehouse, pinawa rice mills, vacuum machine) Need for crop insurance because in some provinces PCI still reject organic rice crop insurance Need for an efficient extension and research combining government and FO / coop intervention Need to define the common challenges with the traditional non organic rice sector and promote solution to solve the problem for both organic and non-organic 4. Presented formal requests / proposals to concerned stakeholders / partners for the needs of the organic rice producers EVENT PROVISIONAL ROGRAM 28 NOVEMBER TIME ACTIVITY / TOPIC 08:00 09:00 Registration of Participants and Guests 09:00 10:15 Opening Activities: Opening Praise National Anthem Recognition of Participants, Guests, Speakers and Moderators Welcome Addresses: Mr. Edelito Sangco, AgriCOOPh Chairperson Mr. Herminio Agsaluna, PAKISAMA President Opening Remarks: Mr. Marek Poznanski, CSA Keynote Messages: Usec. Orlando Ravanera, Chairperson, CDA Mr. Edilberto Baniqued, Small Farmers Representative to NOAB Mindanao Photo Session 10:15 10:30 Break / AM Snacks 10:30 12:00 Panel Discussion 1: Paving the Way for Change: Tracing the Roots of the Organic Rice Industry in the Philippines Organic Rice Farming and Value Chain Perspective o Dr. Ted Mendoza, College of Agriculture, UPLB Current Situation of Organic Rice Producers o Mr. Eduardo Orozco, DiCaDi Agriculture Cooperative, Aurora

4 12:00 13:00 Lunch Break 13:00 14:30 Panel Discussion 2: Farmers & Coops Perspective: Barriers to Commercialization of Organic Rice and Organic Fertilizers Ms. Daisy Langenegger, Green Daisy Farm, Cagayan Valley Organic Farmers Marketing Cooperative (CAVOFAMCO), Isabela Ms. Virgie Amoncio, Carmen Samahang Nayon MPC (CNSMPC), Bohol 14:30 16:00 Panel Discussion 3: What Approaches that Work in the Business of Organic Rice? Mr. Miller Bicaldo, Pecuria Development Cooperative (PDCI), Camarines Sur Mr. Bernie Berondo, GlowCorp 16:00 16:15 Break / PM Snacks 16:15 17:45 Panel Discussion 4: Coop Business Model: What Works to Scale Up the Commercialization of Organic Fertilizer Production and Marketing? Mr. Arnel Magsino, Green Farm of SIDC, Batangas City Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperatives, Ilocos Sur Atty. Koronado Apuzen, FARMCOOP, Davao City 17:45 18:00 Synthesis of Day 1 Presentations and Discussions

5 29 November TIME ACTIVITY / TOPIC 08:00 09:15 Registration of Participants and Guests Opening Ceremonies Opening Remarks: Mr. Cresente Paez, AgriCOOPh President & CEO Break / AM Snacks 09:15 11:00 Panel Discussion 5: What Works: Commercialization of Organic Fertilizers DOST-PCAARRD, Mr. Reynaldo V. Ebora Investment Package for the Commercial Production of Organic Fertilizers Sustansiya Philippines, Inc. Inavet Nutrition Technologies PHIL-COFPA 11:00 12:00 How Can Extension and Research System Work Best for Organic and In-organic Rice? DA ATI 12:00 13:00 Lunch Break Colored Rice Cooking Demo Earth Origins Marketplace + Cafe 13:00 14:30 Workshop: Ways Forward Group 1: What strategies or actions needed to scale up the production of organic rice? Group 2: What strategies or actions needed to commercialize production of organic fertilizer? Group 3: What strategies or actions needed to provide effective extension and research services to farmers? Group Reports

6 14:30 16:30 Rice Bowl Fair: AgriCOOPh s Direct to Market Approach Strategy Strategy Overview o Mr. Jeremille Raton, SMS Mgr, AgriCOOPh Role of E-Commerce & Logistics o Shopmasy/RAF International The Impact of Direct to Market Approach in Increasing Farmers Income o GrowAsia 16:30 16:45 Break / PM Snacks 16:45 18:00 Synthesis of Day 2 Presentations and Discussions Responses from Concerned Government Agencies and Partner- Organizations Closing Remarks