The Department of Trade and Industry Quezon, in partnership with the Catalyste+, formally ended the four-week assignment of Canadian Volunteer Advisor Michael Irvine to Pinagdanlayan Rural Improvement Club—Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PRIC-MPC) through an exit meeting.

VA Irvine discussed the findings, recommendations, and next steps for his assisted MSME, PRIC-MPC, where he incorporates his expertise on root crops and integrated pest management, including vegetation management.

Correspondingly, the farmers of PRIC-MPC developed a viable strategic plan, which is an advantage of their very intimate daily association with their crops, which in turn gives them more opportunities to make close observations that can provide critical insights into pest problems and ultimately may help them develop possible solutions suited to their particular constraints. It also behooves farmers, as well as their assisting agencies and the cooperative itself, to increase their efforts at overcoming some of the challenges that can be encountered in the future.

Furthermore, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in the presence of Mr. Atsushi Koyama, Senior Marketing Consultant and Project Team Leader, conducted a coordination meeting that aimed to discuss the possible collaboration between JICA and PRIC-MPC for the innovation of the cooperative’s products, mainly the ginger, turmeric, and peanut brittle. The project, while only in its planning phase, will set out to establish an inclusive business model for a profitable vegetable value chain.

Present in the meeting were PRIC-MPC General Manager Ms. Cristina Q. Generoso together with the cooperative’s Board of Directors, Catalyste+ Project Officer Mr. Erwin Altamarino, and DTI Negosyo Center Business Counselor Aicel Dongon. ♦

Date of Release: 14 April 2023