Bliss Lingion coop of Manolo Fortich is validated on the ground by the national evaluators of the Cassava Cluster Management Excellence Award

 

MANOLO FORTICH, BUKIDNON – Serving as Northern Mindanao’s entry, the Bliss Lingion Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) headed by its chairman, Dante M. Dosayco, is validated on the ground by the national evaluators for the Cassava Cluster Management Excellence Award (CaCMEA) on October 12 here.

Said competition is spearheaded by the DA-Agricultural Training Institute in collaboration with the National Corn Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to recognize the laudable contributions and achievements of cassava clusters throughout the country for the advancement of the cassava industry, with emphasis on their strengthened partnership with the agency in the production of safe and quality cassava.

Founded in 1994 with only seven members, Bliss Lingion MPC initiated forming the group to address the absence of retail stores in their locality, which led them to establish a consumer store and later on, added outlets to provide the community with essential products.

However, due to some setbacks, they have closed their consumer stores at some point and have refocused on offering credit services and extending loans to their members.

Hurdling the challenges, Bliss Lingion MPC pursued several external financing to help the coop bounce back.

Inspired by their progress, they have tapped the local government of Manolo Fortich and DA for the acquisition of farm equipment for pre- and -post-harvest facilities to jumpstart their agricultural ventures.

Currently, the 353-membered coop is composed of 317 farmer-members. Two hundred fifty-eight are engaged in cassava growing with an aggregate production of 237.65 hectares, an annual production of 1,748 metric tons of cassava, and with an average yield for their fresh tubers at 38 metric tons per hectare.

They make deliveries of cassava tubers, dried chips and granules to established feed millers and other market outlets, with which some of the former they have sealed marketing agreements with.

Eyed to increase its assets in the future, Bliss Lingion MPC continues to target to acquire more pre- and -postharvest facilities and extend other services such as the purchase of agricultural inputs in bulk, venture into agribusiness and trade, promoting value-adding technologies, providing loan assistance, among others, which overall encourage and promote engagement and cooperation among members for mutual support and contribution to their community, as well.

Should the coop take any of the three coveted spots of the CaCMEA contest, they may be granted either P2 million (M), P1.2-M and 650K as the Cluster Management Excellence champion, 1st runner-up and 2nd runner-up, respectively, in the form of projects to scale-up their farming operations.

The team of national evaluators is composed of Virgina V. Villa, senior agriculturist, Project Assistant III Harvey D. Ramos and Agriculturist II Hershey Turda.

Of which, they were assisted by DA-10 led by Senior Science Research Specialist II and former DA cassava focal person Mischelle F. Egama, with representatives from the Corn program and Feed Chemical Analytical Laboratory.# (JLO/Photos supplied)