Marcos directs DA to support farmers' cooperatives

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Agriculture to work closely with the Cooperative Development Authority to bolster farmers' cooperatives during an event in Batangas City.

Marcos emphasized the importance of cooperatives like the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC) in enhancing farmers' productivity and income, inaugurating a new grains terminal project.

The president instructed the DA to provide SIDC with new machinery and post-harvest facilities to increase crop yields and earnings, setting an example for other cooperatives across the country.

Marcos reaffirmed his administration's commitment to supporting farmers and highlighted the qualities of a 'new Filipino' as being hardworking, disciplined, skilled, and patriotic.

In 2023, there were approximately 20,752 cooperatives in the Philippines, with around 2,616 focused on agriculture and 774 on agrarian reform, according to CDA data.