The Department of Agrarian Reform plans to develop a sugarcane block farm
enterprise in Bismartz Agrarian Reform Community in Don Carlos, Bukidnon to
alleviate poverty among small sugarcane farmers. With this, the Bismartz Small
Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BSFMPC) was assessed… More
The Department of Agrarian Reform plans to develop a sugarcane block farm
enterprise in Bismartz Agrarian Reform Community in Don Carlos, Bukidnon to
alleviate poverty among small sugarcane farmers. With this, the Bismartz Small
Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BSFMPC) was assessed through survey
and focus group discussion in determining its agricultural and organizational
capacity to implement a sugarcane block farm enterprise in Bismartz ARC. The
study shows an experienced local organization established since 1993 that
engaged in small-scale agricultural enterprises where farmers share information,
skills, and knowledge in farming and have exhibited high social capital in terms
of empowerment and political action, trust and solidarity, and social cohesion
and inclusion. However, information, technical, and market inefficiencies within
and outside the farmers’ cooperative could affect the development of sugarcane
block farm enterprise in the ARC. Together with the provision of interventions
regarding capability building and common service facilities, the Department
of Agrarian Reform could utilize the high social capital among the farmers in
consolidating small sugarcane farms into a sugarcane block farm enterprise. Less