NEGROS OCCIDENTAL (PIA) -- Going beyond its usual mandate, the Department of Agrarian Reform – Negros Occidental 1 launched its microfinance and savings operation (MSO) project to one of its assisted cooperatives in Cadiz City.

Hacienda Lilia II Agrarian Reform Cooperative held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly built MSO office located at Hda. Lilia II, Barangay Cadiz Viejo, Cadiz City.

“May this help you through the financial services it offers to ensure that each member has cheaper and direct access to credit,” Nanquil added.

DAR’s Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD) initiated the venture thru its Linking Smallholder Farmers to Market with Microfinance (LINKSFARMM) project.

LINKSFARMM is a multi-stakeholder, agro-enterprise focused program on capacity and confidence building among ARBs to access and competitively engage with stable markets.

This will help the ARBs in their farming needs, increase their production and income; and serves as a tool to alleviate the lives of the ARBs, thru easy credit access under the microfinance and savings operations project.

Hda. Lilia II ARC currently has 74 farmer-beneficiaries and associates collectively managing the 46.1922-hectare sugarcane plantation. (AAL/EAD/PIA6 Negros Occidental)