ILOILO CITY (PIA) -- A total of 45 Farmer Cooperatives and Association (FCA) representatives from various commodity clusters including livestock, high-value crops, and corn have recently undergone training here on business planning, known as a strategic tool for farmer entrepreneurs.

This Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas- initiated activity is under its Farm and Fisheries Cluster and Consolidation (F2C2) Program’s Agro Enterprise Clustering Approach (AECA) Phase 2.

Gregory added that a well-crafted business plan provides entrepreneurs with a clear roadmap for success and aids in achieving short-term and long-term objectives.

Further, participants learned how to raise funds for their commodities, make informed decisions, identify potential weaknesses, and enhance communication with stakeholders and clients.

Plan, and development of Agro-enterprise (AE) objectives.

Now, for its Phase 2 or the agro-enterprise planning for collective marketing, farmers are trained to formulate Committed AE Clusters and finalize the AE Plan.

During this second stage, farmer cooperatives delve into collective marketing strategies, aiming for a more significant impact and market reach.

The final phase or Phase 3, which is the agro-enterprise implementation and improvement, focuses on refining the business plan and ensuring its implementation.

Particularly, the last stage involves creation of a Product Supply Forecast, validation of the AE plan through test marketing, and continuous AE plan evaluation and improvement in order to adapt to market demands and changing circumstances. (AAL/AGP/PIA 6 with reports from DA-Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section 6)