ILOILO – Mounting concerns over poor access to credit, inadequate crop insurance, and lack of mechanization and climate-resilient technologies topped the agenda as the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas concluded a four-day series of consultations with farmers and fisherfolk from May 20 to 23.
Held under the banner of the Agricultural and Fishery Councils (AFCs) Congress, the consultations sought to identify pressing constraints in the agri-fishery sector and build a roadmap for responsive government intervention.
The DA said the insights gathered will be compiled into a regional report to guide future planning and policy decisions.
The event also featured training needs assessments to tailor capacity-building programs and support at the provincial level.
Among the key issues raised by participants were the lack of affordable and accessible production inputs, weak access to credit and insurance, insufficient mechanization, poor market linkages, and the urgent need for climate-adaptive technologies.
“There is a critical need to establish systematic channels through which farmers and fisherfolk can express their concerns and influence national policies,” said Engr. Buen Mondejar, Regional Agricultural and Fishery Council (RAFC) chairperson and farmer regional executive director.
He encouraged the participants to be vocal and involved, particularly in advocating for credit facilities, crop insurance schemes, training programs, market access, and mechanization.
“Access to credit facilities, crop insurance options, capacity-building programs, agricultural mechanization, market access, and the integration of climate-resilient technologies” must be key priorities, Mondejar stressed.
The DA also documented infrastructure requests ranging from irrigation systems and post-harvest facilities to farm-to-market road development. These concerns, the agency said, will be forwarded to relevant DA offices for appropriate action.
Representatives from DA-attached agencies, local government units, and other national government offices attended the series of consultations, which the DA emphasized as part of its commitment to participatory governance./PN
