MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA) — The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recently received a crucial resource in their efforts to bolster agricultural development. They accepted a handbook on Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on April 23.
The handbook was translated into the Filipino language and will serve as a guide for MAFAR agricultural extension workers. JICA Senior Vice President Miyazaki Katsura personally handed over the handbook to MAFAR Minister Mohammad S. Yacob.
A cornerstone of the Capacity Development Project for Bangsamoro (CDPB), SHEP aims to uplift smallholder farmers and foster sustainable peace and development in the region. MAFAR and JICA are leading the charge in implementing SHEP in Maguindanao del Norte from 2023 to 2024, with a focus on empowering small-scale horticulture farmers to improve their livelihoods through sustainable, market-oriented practices. Plans are underway to extend this initiative to other BARMM provinces, including Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
Reflecting on JICA’s global efforts in promoting SHEP, Katsura expressed gratitude to the Bangsamoro people for their enduring friendship, spanning over 40 years. He emphasized the potential of this partnership to foster sustainable peace in the region.
Yacob reciprocated the gratitude, highlighting the handbook’s significance of the handbook. “This handbook will not only benefit the MAFAR but, most importantly, the Bangsamoro farmers who are hardworking and committed,” he said.
He further pledged support for JICA’s initiatives in the BARMM, particularly in the transfer of agricultural technology.
The turnover ceremony was also attended by Japanese experts, including Chief Advisor Misumi Sachiko, SHEP-CDPB team leader Furuichi Shingo, Senior Representative Ide Sochiro, and Dr. Aikawa Jiro, underscoring the collaborative efforts driving agricultural development in the BARMM.(MAFAR-BARMM, PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
