Rice yields increased by 20 percent in the six pilot clusters in the Philippines after two years of implementation of the Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) Technical Assistance (TA) administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, It is not just about yields or incomes—it is about farmers realizing they are stronger together.
Dr. Roberto R. Acosta, Team Leader of the PRIMEX Consultant Team reported these findings during the National End of Project Workshop on 14 October 2025 at the Asian Development Bank Headquarters, Mandaluyong City.
The workshop with the theme “Learning from the Field, Planning for the Future,” gathered almost 60 representatives from the Department of Agriculture Central Office and Regional Field Offices, private sector, local government units (LGU), and farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs) from Flora in Apayao, Sariaya in Quezon, Bayawan in Negros Oriental, Patnongon in Antique, Mahayag in Zamboanga del Sur, and Magsaysay–Matanao in Davao del Sur.
The regional TA – formally known as the TA 9971-REG: Southeast Asia Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development Facility Phase II: Farm and Fishery Clustering Development (54002-001) – was funded by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific or JFPR through the Government of Japan.
PRIMEX mobilized the consultant team from August 2023 to October 2025 to carry out the TA in the six pilot cluster sites under the guidance of Ms. Elvira C. Ablaza, TA Project Director and PRIMEX Chief Operating Officer.
F2C2 as a program develop prosperous farming and fishing clusters
F2C2 is a program of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) that aims to increase the income and productivity of farmers and fisherfolk by encouraging them to group together to gain economies of scale in production, processing, and marketing.
“For 26 months, our team of cluster development managers, community development specialists, and administrative assistants mentored, coached, and supported the six selected FCAs in achieving their goal of improved farm productivity, higher household income, and better quality of life for their members,” said Ms. Ablaza.
The PRIMEX TA team also worked with DA regional field offices, LGUs and partner FCAs to develop their five-year cluster development plans and produce their respective enterprise operations manuals. FCA officers strengthened their leadership and improved their management of their respective agri-enterprises by joining a series of organizational development training sessions organized by the TA team. Finally, the TA team facilitated market linkages, which helped several FCAs secure contracts with the private sector.
“From 3.9 tons per hectare, rice yields increased to 4.7 tons per hectare from 2023 to 2026 across the pilot sites. Average household income also rose by half, from ₱80,000 to ₱120,000 a year,” Acosta said. He also emphasized the four big lessons from the TA that can guide DA’s next-generation programs. “First, strong LGU engagement keeps clusters alive beyond projects. Second, continuous mentoring works better than one-time training. Third, markets motivate more than subsidies. Finally, digital tools must be built in from the start.”
Steadfast support to Philippine agriculture
In his message, Executive Director for Japan of ADB Mr. Shigeo Shimizu committed that JFPR will continue supporting the Government of the Philippines in their aspirations and ambitions to transform and revitalize the agricultural sector.
“Our work through this year has shown something powerful. When small farmers come together and organize, they can grow into thriving early businesses in the six pilot areas,” Shimizu said.
On the other hand, Mr. Andrew Jeffries, ADB Country Director for the Philippines, mentioned the proposed project that will follow this TA. “The Technical Assistance worked closely with farmers, men and women engaged local government units, and involved the private sector. Transforming agriculture requires coordinated efforts, bringing together all stakeholders to realize the government’s national ambitions and the aspirations of those who contribute to the country’s food basket. Building on the lessons learned from this technical assistance, the proposed solar-powered irrigation project will upscale across the country. This approach was piloted under this TA, and we seek to further expand it, hopefully starting next year.”
Undersecretary for High Value Crops Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero represented the DA and congratulated the TA for showing that the F2C2 is a viable strategy for farmers to grow. “Through the partnership with the ADB, under the technical assistance of this project, we were able to look at policy-based loan on farm clustering, which includes the Stakeholder-oriented Operations Manual, an output which is useful for the six pilot clusters. The F2C2 technical assistance has indeed validated that clustering and consolidation is not just a pilot; it is a scalable and sustainable for inclusive agricultural development.”
Mr. Ryohei Ishii, PRIMEX Chairman and President, also joined the culminating activity to listen to the most transformative cluster experiences, products, and partnerships from key stakeholders.
Message of gratitude
TA Project Director Ms. Ablaza expressed her sincere gratitude to the participants for their commitment to the F2C2 TA project.
“We are deeply grateful to ADB, particularly to Mr Takeshi Ueda, who designed this TA and served as its first Project Officer, for the technical guidance, encouragement, and for believing in us. We thank JFPR for providing the funds that made this TA possible. We also appreciate Ms. Shantini Kunhamboo, our current ADB Project Officer, for her guidance and advice in the last six months. We are likewise grateful to Ms. Erika Arcillas, ADB Project Analyst, for her full and invaluable support to our team, particularly in the financial, administrative, and logistics aspects of TA implementation.
Secondly, we appreciate the close collaboration and support extended to our Team by DA, through the F2C2 National Program Management Office, the RFOs with jurisdiction over the six pilot sites, and other DA offices and attached agencies like the Philippine Rice Institute. Their full cooperation and assistance in the planning and implementation of the various field activities facilitated our work in the field.”
The FCA, LGU, and DA RFO representatives also shared testimonials and gratitude for the assistance received. One of them was Mr. Jose Nanini, Vice Chairperson of the Kalipunan ng mga Magsasaka sa Patnongon Agriculture Cooperative (KAMAPAT) shared that through the support of the TA, they began to see real change in their cooperative.
“We were trained to open our books, simplify our reports, and to make information available to every member. They can see it, ask about it, and they can understand it. This openness has built trust, and trust is the foundation of any strong cooperative. Thank you for believing in us, for walking with us, and for showing us that transparency, accountability, and participation are not just words. They are the keys to a cooperative that truly serves its members,” said Nanini.
During the afternoon session, participants worked in groups to develop an action plan in response to persistent challenges that all clusters faced. These were related to institutional strengthening, governance, and cluster operations and product development, market, enterprise development, and value chain upgrading
Launch of knowledge products and sharing of lessons
The TA team also turned over five knowledge products to the DA Central Office and Regional Field Office partners and the FCAs. These included the F2C2 Stakeholder Oriented Operations Manual, Learning Notes on Geographic Information Systems, Learning Notes on Knowledge Management, Enterprise Operations Manual (EOM) for the High Value Crops of Sariaya Farmers Federation, and EOM of the Upper Salug Daku Multipurpose Cooperative (USDMPC).
The consultant team also shared shared learnings on the rice value-chain across pilot clusters which was presented by Ms. Kathleen Ramilo, Cluster Development Manager for Sariaya. Ms. Corina Manansala, GIS Specialist also discussed the application of GIS in irrigation water management in the Bayawan Cluster particularly innovative learnings on smart agriculture.
Among the FCAs that attended the National End of Project Workshop were the Flora Farmers Cluster Agriculture Cooperative (FLORACO), Sariaya Farmers Federation (SAFAFED), Bayawan United Farmers and Irrigators Association (BUFIA), Dalawinon Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (DFMC), USDMPC, and KAMAPAT.