Farmers in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, will continue to receive support from the Korea Partnership for Agriculture (KOPIA) even after the organization formally ended its operations in the Philippines.
The partnership with the Batitang Agricultural Cooperative (BAC) has been extended until August this year, backed by a PhP1 million cash grant to improve postharvest facilities.
KOPIA has also provided Zaragoza farmers with training in sustainable farming, greenhouses for high-value crops, a cooperative office, and a truck to streamline operations.
“KOPIA, with support from PhilRice and the Zaragoza local government, has given us an alternative income source beyond rice farming. It has built a community grounded in cooperation and diligence,” Cresencio S. Marcos, BAC chair, said in FIlipino.
Since November 2023, the cooperative has produced and sold 500 to 1,000 seedling trays of tomatoes, eggplants, and hot peppers per month, generating over PhP27,000 in monthly income. These earnings contribute to the cooperative’s revolving fund and members’ shares.
To recognize KOPIA’s contributions, Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), through Deputy Executive Director for Development Karen Eloisa T. Barroga and RiceBIS Program Lead Diadem B. Gonzales-Esmero, honored KOPIA Director Dr. Kyu-Seong Lee during a recent workshop.
“Our tagline, ‘We work for the Filipino farmers,’ resonates deeply with me.’ It fuels my commitment to empower and support farmers, not just for their personal success but for the growth of the agricultural sector,” Lee said.
Since its inception, KOPIA has established 18 greenhouses, two postharvest facilities, and trained over 6,000 farmers in Lucban, Quezon; Siniloan, Laguna; and Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija. The program has also provided machinery, including cultivators, tractors, and sprayers, to help Filipino farmers improve productivity.
KOPIA, which operates in 22 countries worldwide, plans to expand its impact by collaborating with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to establish 10 additional pilot villages once it resumes full-scale operations in the country.
