Agro-Trade Fair

Mayor Ella Celestina D. Garcia-Yulo strongly believes that our farmers are the municipality's lifeblood - that any improvement in their way of living will trickle down from the mountains to the economic center. This is why our honorable mayor has put our farmers front and center in her programs and projects, ranging from farm-to-market roads to provision of farming equipment, among others.In this year's Magayon Hinuptanan Festival, nine of the many farmer associations will join us at the Magayon Park from March 25-28, to showcase their produce.Let's get to know our participating Farmer Associations in this year's Agro-Trade Fair!

Binhi sang Kauswagan sang Sto. Domingo Integrated Farmers’ Association (BISAKASDOIFA)

Barangay Crossing Magallon is popularly known for its vast sugarcane fields along the highway where Sto. Domingo, a community of farmers and farm workers reside. The people are mostly small-holder farmers producing corn, vegetables, sugarcane and livestock. Glutinous corn production is considered very profitable in the area because of sure market for their products and accessibility from the production area to the highway.Through the assistance of the LGU, and the support of Mayor Ella Celestina D. Garcia Yulo, the group named BISAKASDOIFA was organized on March 22, 2021 and was registered to DOLE last October 15, 2021 with 31 active members. As the name of the association implies, they truly have planted the seed of progress in their community. From then on, being led by their Chairman, Erwin Salinas, BISAKASDOIFA have actively participated in the activities and programs of the LGU.As one of the key players for agricultural development in the municipality, BISAKASDOIFA has been qualified as beneficiary of DA-SAAD Program in 2021 where they received Chicken Layer Egg Production Project and Vegetable Production Project in 2022 with a Greenhouse component which they are managing presently. BISAKASDOIFA has also initiated several income generating projects already. With all these is the association’s commitment to help its community by serving as link to access government’s support in the provision of livelihood for its members and their families.

Sitio Napiluan Integrated Farmers’ Association (SINIFA)

Sitio Napiluan is one of the far flung sitios in Barangay Quintin Remo, approximately kilometers away from the barrio proper. The area can be reached through habal-habal or by traversing long rugged roads. The locals are primarily engaged in farming specifically on sugarcane, cassava, rice, corn and vegetables production. Some of them are also raising livestock and poultry to augment their income.In an area where most of the people are farmers and farm laborers gathered with common vision, the group is very ideal to become an association. And some time in June 4, 2020, with the assistance of the LGU, the group decided to organize themselves and eventually registered to DOLE on October 27, 2020 with a total of 39 members led by their Chairman, Rosalyn Abordo.As a qualified DA-SAAD beneficiary, SINIFA received Cassava Production Project and AIDFI Ram Pump Project funded by Coca-cola Foundation in 2021. And in 2022, SINIFA obtained 5 heads caracow with implements and 27 goats as component and support for the first project. 1 unit fryer and 1 unit oven were also turned over to the association as assistance for enterprise development. Recently, SINIFA was assessed and selected by the LGU through Mayor Ella Celestina D. Garcia-Yulo to receive 1 unit floating tiller under the LGU’s Farm Mechanization Program as support to rice farmers in increasing farm productivity and income. With these projects, SINIFA envisions to bring development in their community through farmers’ cooperation, commitment and strengthening government collaboration.

Asosasyon sang Mangunguma sa Barangay Inolingan (ASMBI)

One of the longest serving farmers organization in the municipality is the ASMBI. Located in Barangay Inolingan, the association is composed mainly of agrarian reform beneficiaries with areas being allotted for agriculture. ASMBI was registered to DOLE on May 3, 2013 with 30 members, led by their Chairman, Saturnino Tuya Jr.In 2021, ASMBI was qualified as beneficiary of DA-SAAD Program. They received Chicken Egg Layer Project and Calamansi Production Project which provided livelihood for the association. The program also offered various training that equipped them with knowledge and skills to improve their farming.ASMBI is also engaged in food processing which gives additional income to their association. Their value-added products include noodles made up of various healthy ingredients. DTI, DOST and DA are among their partner agencies which provided equipment and other inputs as support for their chosen enterprise. At present, the association has been participating in trade fairs to showcase their products and gain market access.

Mamballo Tibobong Integrated Farmer’ Association (MTIFA)

On the rolling mountains of Barangay Quintin Remo settled a community of agrarian reform beneficiaries relying on farming as their major source of livelihood. As an agricultural area, the locals grow crops such as corn, rice, vegetables, banana and other root crops for consumption and the excess were sold for additional income. Some of them would bring their products during market day to the town proper through habal-habal, then they would sell these within the prevailing price.Some time in 2019, the group decided to organize with a main goal of alleviating poverty incidence in their community. MTIFA, the name of their association which was derived from two sitios in Barangay Quintin Remo, Mamballo and Tibobong where mostly of the members reside. And in order to have a legal identity as a group, they decided to apply for registration to DOLE which was approved last December 26, 2019. MTIFA is presently led by their Chairman, Jeson Sinaypan.By that time, MTIFA gained access to government projects through the LGU. They were qualified to become beneficiary of DA-SAAD Program where they received Corn Production Project in 2020 and Cacao Production Project in 2021. They also obtained 1 unit corn sheller, 1 unit corn mill, 12 heads caracow with implements and various production inputs as components of the said projects. Recently, under the Farm Mechanization Program of the LGU, MTIFA has been qualified to receive 1 unit rice mill which aims to reduce difficulty in hauling and transporting their produce to the nearest rice mill, increase rice production and augment income of the association.

Barangay Macagahay Integrated Farmers’ Association (BMIFA)

Barangay Macagahay is classified as a rural barangay in the Municipality of Moises Padilla. In terms of terrain, it is approximately 83% mountainous, 15% hilly and 2% plain. It shares common borders with adjacent barangays in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The barangay is known for its beautiful mountain ranges. Majority of the locals is primarily farmers and farm laborers with areas allocated for corn, rice, sugarcane, banana, vegetables and root crops. Some of them are also backyard raisers of livestock and poultry.BMIFA, is an association organized through the support of their barangay council. Since its registration to DOLE on October 5, 2017 with 80 members from barangay proper, Sitio Agogolo, Sitio Mantauyan and Sitio Tubod, BMIFA overcame all challenges in maintaining active status of their association despite difficulty in convening its members due to quite long distance from their center.BMIFA is one of the associations prioritized to become beneficiary of DA-SAAD in 2020 due to high incidence of poverty in the area. With corn as their main crop, they received Corn Production Project with 1 unit corn sheller, 1 unit corn mill, 13 heads caracow with implements and various agricultural inputs as components of the project. And in 2021, Cacao Production Project was granted to them to support improvement in their communal area. Jollymar Villegas is BMIFA's Chairman.

Santos-santos Farm Workers Association (SAFWA)

Sitio Santos-santos is one of the sitios in Barangay Quintin Remo which was covered by DAR-CARP in the previous years. ARBs from the area who are also farmers and farm workers would gather to conduct regular meetings and discussions on agrarian reform. This was when the idea of organizing the ARBs came in.Santos-santos Farm Workers Association (SAFWA) is the name of the organization which was registered to DOLE last March 24, 2021 with 35 members led by their Chairman, Magdalena O. Dagohoy. The members mainly grow corn, rice, sugarcane, cassava and other crops. Most of them would sell some of their produce to the market after harvest.SAFWA is also a DA-SAAD beneficiary in 2020. In this program, the association received the Cassava Production Project with 5 caracows as its component and 27 goats as support for this project in 2021. 1 unit fryer and 1 unit oven were also turned over to the association as assistance for enterprise development. The association is very active in participating to trade fairs in order to gain market access and promote their products.

Kaisahan sang mga Mangunguma kag Mamumugon sa Barangay Quintin Remo

Barangay Quintin Remo, a barangay in Moises Padilla with the largest land area is noted for its mountainous terrain. Far flung sitios in the barangay like Tios can be reached through habal-habal or trekking along rugged roads and massive sugarcane plantation. Since the place is very ideal for agriculture, the villagers’ main livelihood is farming. There is a large portion of the area planted with sugarcane and peanut while some of the farmers are growing root crops and banana among others.With the program of the government to extend its services to the remote areas, the LGU through Mayor Ella Celestina D. Garcia-Yulo initiated to convene the farmers in Tios to disseminate its programs and services which they could avail and help them in their farming. Since the area has never been saturated by huge government projects, the group decided to organize themselves and apply for registration to DOLE which was approved last November 23, 2022 with 42 members from Sitios Tius, Angalan and Inangao. The association is led by its Chairman, Rolando Gedamia Jr. As a newly organized and registered association, the LGU has been assisting them until they qualified as beneficiary of DA-SAAD for Phase 2 this 2023.DA-SAAD Phase 2 activities for implementation this year has already started rolling by conducting Community Needs Assessment (CNA) last month. And hopefully, in the coming months, the association will receive the Peanut Production Project as livelihood intervention under this program which aims to enhance their existing peanut production activities and increase their production and income through provision of adequate agricultural inputs and appropriate technology.

Barangay Odiong Cassava Farmers’ Association (BOCAFA)

BOCAFA was organized on July 4, 2017 and registered to DOLE on October 3, 2017, comprising of 42 farmer-members who mainly grow cassava and other crops in Hda. Layagon, situated within the political boundary of Brgy. Odiong in Moises Padilla.The members who are also ARBs started planting cassava to their parcels of land summing up to 6 hectares in the year 1992. Due to high demand of cassava in 2001, the production area added up to 8 hectares. Until the year 2017, a total of 69-hectare cassava plantation was maintained by BOCAFA. During these years, the LGU in partnership with DA and OPA, validated that the area has potential for expansion. Later that same year, the area is considered as model farm as they were able to sustain production having the largest contiguous area devoted to cassava production only. This is when support from the said agencies poured in.And also in 2017, BOCAFA was qualified by DA to receive 3 million worth of farm machineries, under its Cassava Development Program. This project aims to provide mechanization for land preparation and generate income for the association. As additional livelihood, their family members especially the women also received Food Processing Training with cassava-based products.Unfortunately, the association has greatly reduced their cassava production area during pandemic. This is due to fewer demand on cassava with the closing of food establishments. And to help them cope with losses, BOCAFA was selected as eligible beneficiary of DA-SAAD Program in 2020 where they received Native Chicken Production Project. Calamansi Production Project and Vegetable Production Project were also granted to them under the said program in 2021. With these projects, BOCAFA still hopes to recuperate from the losses the pandemic has caused them. Romeo Ocido is BOCAFA's current Chairman.

Moises Padilla Rabbit Breeders Association (MOPARBA)

Rabbit farming is considered as an emerging venture in the province of Negros Occidental because rabbits are well known as a quick breeding source of low-fat, high protein meat. In the backyard level, they are low maintenance and require only a small area for housing. Because of this, there is an increasing interest to raise rabbits not just as pets but as source of meat. This may be unknown to many but there are locals of Moises Padilla who started raising rabbits as a hobby only and now expanding into a business. Recently, a newly organized association where a rabbit raiser can be part of has been formed, the MOPARBA.MOPARBA is now on the process of registering their association to DOLE with 25 members composed of rabbit breeders led by their Chairman, Gerson Villanueva. A series of meetings and activities was conducted while working on their application for registration to the said agency. As an association, they aim to introduce rabbit farming in the community as a profitable business and later on prosper into an enterprise which can help generate livelihood in the municipality.