TABANGO, Leyte — To strengthen the capacity of local agricultural producers and secure high-quality raw materials for commercial processing, the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) Regional Project Coordination Office VIII (RPCO VIII) conducted a three-day capability-building workshop focused on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Post-Harvest Handling, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
Enhancing Rural Processing and Enterprise Scale-Up
Held from August 3 to 5, 2026, the intervention targeted farmer-members and key operational personnel of the Omaganhan Farmers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (OFMPC) and its affiliated clusters. The cooperative leads the implementation of the Eastern Visayas Banana Processing and Marketing Enterprise (EVBPME), funded under the PRDP Scale-Up banner.
The training brought together 50 participants—including resource speakers, I-REAP personnel, and banana growers—to address long-standing supply chain bottlenecks. Inconsistent farm management, improper handling, and pest infestations have historically led to post-harvest losses and increased production costs, impacting the enterprise's ability to maintain a steady supply of quality bananas for processing into banana chips.
Structured Three-Day Practical Curriculum
The capacity-building program combined classroom instruction with hands-on field application:
Day 1 (Good Agricultural Practices): Sessions covered foundational farm management, including land preparation, selection of planting materials, crop establishment, nutrient and water management, farm sanitation, record-keeping, and compliance with food safety standards. A workshop was also held to identify farm-level constraints in implementing GAP.
Day 2 (Integrated Pest Management & Post-Harvest Handling): Participants were introduced to pest identification, monitoring, and mechanical control strategies. Instructors outlined harvesting maturity indices, sorting techniques, grading standards, and proper packaging procedures to preserve fruit quality.
Day 3 (Field Practicum & Quality Control): Moving outside the classroom, participants engaged in field visits to observe real-world farm conditions, followed by practical demonstrations on proper handling, storage, transport, and quality control.
Building Sustainable Supply Chains for Eastern Visayas
By institutionalizing GAP and IPM standards across its member farms, the PRDP aims to build a reliable pool of trained growers capable of delivering consistent crop yields. Lowering post-harvest losses and reducing pest incidence directly strengthens both individual farm profitability and the broader sustainability of the region's banana processing industry.
