ILAGAN, Isabela — In Barangay Binarsang, Reina Mercedes town, members of the Reina Mercedes Riverside Farmers Agriculture Cooperative have been mobilized for a 17-session training program.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Isabela led the event, launching its second Farm Business School for 2026 on June 11. The capacity-building program aims to equip agrarian reform beneficiaries with agribusiness and farm management, and financial literacy skills.
DAR Isabela Officer-in-Charge Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Engr. Cristeto Acoba Jr. said the initiative is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen farmers’ entrepreneurial and technical capabilities, and improve the economic viability of farming communities.
Acoba said the program seeks to transform farmers from solely producers into agripreneurs capable of making informed business decisions.
Through hands-on activities, participants will gain experience in production planning, cost and income analysis, value-adding activities, marketing strategies, and financial decision-making.
According to Acoba, the Farm Business School gives farmers access to modern tools and innovative techniques aimed at raising crop production and farm earnings.
“The Farm Business School is one of DAR’s major interventions aimed at empowering agrarian reform beneficiaries with practical tools and knowledge to improve farm productivity and profitability,” he said.
Encouraging participants to maximize the learning opportunity, Acoba said that exposure to new technologies and business-oriented farming practices can help farmers achieve better economic outcomes and build more resilient livelihoods.
Partner stakeholders marked the launch by signing a memorandum of agreement, pledging joint support for the training program and for sustaining the cooperative’s growth.
The Farm Business School remains one of DAR’s flagship programs for strengthening agrarian reform communities.
By focusing on farm enterprise management and market orientation, DAR said the program aims to improve farmers’ incomes and contribute to the broader goal of sustainable rural development.
For the cooperative members in Binarsang, the sessions offer tools to plan crops, calculate costs, add value to harvests, and reach markets with a business perspective.
