The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) hopes to empower farmers to become “agripreneurs” through the establishment of a farm business school (FBS) in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

In a statement Monday, the DAR said the FBS will equip farmers with knowledge in sustainable farming.

Agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and other farmers who will participate in the FBS program will be provided with interventions to innovate, develop and make their products more enticing to the market to make them become effective farmer-entrepreneurs.

DAR-South Cotabato Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer Charish Paña said the program implementation would run for 16 weeks with 25 hands-on sessions.

“Ang mga ARB na dadalo sa FBS ay napakaswerte sapagkat halos nasa pintuan na lamang nila ang learning center. Hindi na nila kailangang pumunta sa paaralan upang matutuhan ang mga napakahalagang leksyon na madadanasan nila sa programa (The ARBs attending the FBS are lucky because the learning center is just around their doorsteps. They no longer need to go to school and learn the valuable lessons that they will experience in the program),” she said.

Maria Antonia Banting, vice chairperson of the Dolefil Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (DARBC), thanked DAR for the opportunity given to them.

Banting also conveyed the cooperative’s commitment and promised full participation in the course of the program.

“Sa programang ito, mapapaunlad ng ating mga magsasaka ang kanilang produksyon at kakayahang kumita sa sakahan (Through this program, our farmers will certainly improve their farm production and profitability),” she said.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said the FBS, which provides education to ARBs on how to improve farm production and marketing strategy, is in accordance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to help improve the livelihood of the farmers. (PNA)