Launched in Virac, Catanduanes last June 15, the AKBay (Agrikultura, Kaagapay ng Bayang Pinoy) Program benefited 76 farmers, giving them financial assistance to purchase inputs for their approved micro-livelihood projects.
Highlighting the country’s current developmental directive and how it should be the guiding principle of the agriculture sector, Undersecretary for Field Operations Joel Rudinas, mentioned that inclusive growth should override development motivated by profit and economic growth alone.
In his message, he described growth and progress as “something built from the ground, as this would enable the smallest stakeholders – the farmers – to actually participate and benefit in the process.”
“The problem, however, is that support initiatives are hampered because of the large number of issues surrounding the sector. Formal lending institutions which are supposed to assist financing, instead turn impartial to small borrowers in order to avert bad credit exposures and low success rates,” he added.
Usec. Rudinas suggested that this whole system be overhauled if inclusive development is the objective. Both creditors and borrowers need only take the initiative of jumpstarting the mechanism to establish trust and foster good partnership.
The program title “AKBay” itself, he added, justifies the meaning of true development that is accommodating and impartial to the smallest, yet the most important stakeholder in the agricultural sector.
0 comments:
Post a Comment