Forming cooperatives key to helping small farmers - CDA

The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) on Friday encouraged the formation of cooperatives to ensure that farmers would receive aid from the government.

"Ang individual, ginagawa nating—pinagsama-sama natin sa isang kooperatiba at ang mga asosasyon at ang mga organization ay kinu-convert natin sa kooperatiba para ang tulong ng gobyerno ay direktang makarating sa mga farmers natin,” CDA Assistant Secretary Myrla Paradillo said at the public briefing.

(In order for government assistance to reach our farmers directly, we are transforming the groups and organizations into cooperatives.)

Meanwhile, Paradillo said that there are now 33 registered credit surety fund cooperatives in the country.

She said 18 CSF cooperatives are based in the provinces and 15 are located in cities.

“Unti-unti na pong lumalawak ang CSF dahil sa aggressiveness ng CDA para sa programang ito ng gobyerno,” she added.

(It is gradually expanding due to the aggressiveness of the CDA for this government program.)

Paradillo also said that the CDA has other programs, such as internet connectivity to help cooperatives digitalize and mergers and consolidations. —VBL, GMA Integrated News