The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) continues reaching out to Farmers Cooperatives and Associations (FCAs) to strengthen collaborative efforts that would help improve their productivity and livelihood despite the challenges in the industry.

During the general assembly of the Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperative (FBFC) composed of 18 affiliates held at La Trinidad, Benguet on June 11, 2025, DA-CAR Regional Executive Director Atty. Jennilyn Dawayan reiterated the need for federation members to strengthen partnerships with Local Government Units, State Universities and Colleges, and the department to have better access to agriculture services.

“Our strength in vegetable or in agriculture relies heavily on our unity and collective actions to achieve prosperity for a better quality of life. It is working together, which is not far from us, because of our indigenous practices that we can use as part of our cooperative strength. We assure you that the Department of Agriculture will always be here supporting clustered organizations like the Federation of Benguet Farmers Cooperative, for access to market linkage, aside from the cooperative to be the beneficiary of interventions from the DA,” Dawayan said.

Dir. Dawayan stressed that in keeping with the federation’s spirit of being a cooperative organization that embodies the goal of one federation-one vision, it is important that the federation is ready in terms of management capability, in preparation for the possible management of the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC), which was the original purpose of the facility.

“They say that your federation is not inclusive, and it was created for BAPTC, I don’t think that is the purpose of the Benguet Farmers’ Cooperative; you are created to affiliate with one another for a common purpose. Whether you will be trained to manage BAPTC is incidental; what is important is that the federation is ready and able,” Dir. Dawayan stated.