“Collaboration is crucial to the development and expansion of small farm enterprises”
- Rebecca Dibdiben
- Jan 26, 2018
- 3 min read
The advice came from Engineer Leandro H. Gazmin, former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for Agribusiness and one of the brains behind ASPIRE, but now the Chief Executive Officer of Farm Direct Global Inc.
ASPIRE, stands for Agribusiness Support for Promotion and Investment in Regional Exposition. It is a partnership project of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). The project was launched in the Cordillera last January 24, 2018 at the Provincial Capitol, La Trinidad, Benguet by Hon. Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Agribusiness and Marketing, and Regional Engagement; along with Andrew Villacorta, Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness; Christopher Morales, DA-AMAS Director; Rufino Panagan, DA Consultant for Luzon Cluster A; Narciso Edillo, DA-CAR Regional Executive Director; Cresencio Pacalso, Governor of Benguet; Myrna Pablo, Dti-CAR Regional Director; Eden David, DTI-CAR Provincial Director for Kalinga; Daimler Cuyan, PCCI Baguio-Benguet Chapter President; and. Atty. Jesus Ros, OIC-Assistant Director of the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of the Philippines.
ASPIRE’s main objective is to assist small farm enterprises to tie up with other agribusiness industry players so they can expand their networks.
“If you do it alone, you will remain small,” Engr. Gazmin told his listeners during a lecture after the ASPIRE’s launching today, here.
He added: “This is actually the reason why Farm Direct Global Inc. (FDGI) came into existence with a heart on helping and supporting the farmers with a corporate tagline, “Pusong magsasaka.”
“Pusong Magsasaka,” expresses for us our recognition and concern to the plight and hardship of Filipino farmers who are usually taken for granted,” in their continuing quest for survival in their livelihoods, Engr. Gazmin, explained.
He said that FDGI is a company providing marketing and logistic solutions to the farmers. They offer a long term partnership which aims to empower the farmers at all stages of the production-marketing chain, not just mere suppliers of inputs or linking farmers to market outlets.
“I am a frustrated farmer so I know that farming is not easy, the process is hard to do alone. We need collaboration in order to expand and this is what our company is offering, a partnership,” Gazmin stressed.
Currently, FDGI offers an acceptable price to farmers and the consumers of farm produce which is the key towards achieving a lasting and sustainable model for profitable and meaningful livelihood for the farmers.
FDGI aims to increase market access and/or outlets for the farmers in Metro Manila while looking forward to replicating it to nearby urbanized towns.
Benguet Quinta Vegetable Market was launched last December 8, 2017 as a pilot project of FDGI. It is located at Quinta Market and Fishport in Quiapo, Manila. Its strength is bringing fresh and quality Benguet Vegetables in Metro Manila offering these as wholesale and retail at a comparative prices.
This year, the company is looking forward to open three more markets for Benguet vegetables in the Metro Manila area.
“I now represent the private side and I am looking for producers and farmer partners that I can link to the market which is the concept of the ASPIRE. This is something we need to do for the farmers because we need to have sustainable models. We need to empower them so there would be still farmers to produce food for us till the next generations to come,” Gazmin concludes.//
