The Philippines and Japan kicked off the implementation of a five-year project that aims to improve the vegetable value chain in the country.
In a meeting on August 31, 2022, the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) joined the Department of Agriculture- Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance (DA-AMAS) Service and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to discuss the Technical Cooperation Project, titled Market-Driven Enhancement of Vegetable Value Chain in the Philippines (TCP-MV2C).
The project aims to boost farmers’ income and bring efficiency in various agricultural activities by identifying major issues, determining corresponding solutions, and distinguishing the roles of each stakeholder along the vegetable value chain.
In the meeting, JICA Deputy Director General Ayumu Ohshima reported that a dispatch team from JICA completed the Planning Phase on August 22 to September 2, 2022. This involved the conduct of a value chain survey in selected vegetable-producing provinces like Benguet (highland area) and Quezon (lowland area) and the drafting of the Enhanced Vegetable Value Chain Roadmap.
Ohshima presented the draft project framework, which identified the outputs to be delivered under the project, including private sector participation and investment to strengthen, and improve the value chain through a consultative platform.
PCAF representatives notified JICA that the agency maintains a nationwide network of advisory bodies composed of private and public sector partners and key industry players. The network ensures transparency and good governance for the participatory development of the agriculture and fisheries sector.
Furthermore, PCAF informed the JICA team that there are recently developed commodity industry roadmaps and that monitoring their implementation will be a regular part of the National Banner Program Committees’ meeting agenda.
Given this, JICA requested the help of PCAF in conducting consultations with the private sector to generate inputs and improve the design of TCP-MV2C.
The TCP-MV2C’s implementation phase, which involves piloting projects in Benguet and Quezon, will commence in January 2023. | JCL
