The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Universal Robina Corp. (URC) have entered into a five-year partnership to establish and further advance the Sustainable Potato Program (SPP).
According to the DA, this initiative aims to strengthen seed systems, empower potato farmers’ organizations, and enhance farm productivity and income in key potato-producing regions.
URC’s involvement in the SPP began before the pandemic, with the distribution of approximately 506 metric tons of premium potato seeds to 14 farmer organizations across three regions. These seeds were cultivated over 202 hectares, yielding up to 45 metric tons of potatoes per hectare. The total estimated production reached 23,000 metric tons, generating a gross income of PHP 920 million for the farmer groups.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. highlighted that the new collaboration with URC will lead to an expansion of the project in the Cordilleras, Bukidnon, and Davao provinces, in partnership with the DA, the United Potato Producers of Benguet and Mountain province, and other farmers’ associations.
The partnership aims to support selected farmers groups through capacity building, training on agricultural best practices, seed multiplication, pest and disease management, and marketing strategies. Additionally, funding will be increased to produce quality planting materials, targeting 2 million Generation 1 seeds for seed production across 44 hectares, with the potential to cover 12,000 hectares of commercial potato farming after three generations.
The program also includes provisions for nurseries, small machinery, storage facilities, processing facilities, and support from the Bureau of Plant Industry for import permits and pest and disease surveillance.
Secretary Laurel emphasized the positive impact of public-private partnerships in driving progress, stating that this agreement reinforces the shared commitment to enhancing access to quality planting materials, improving potato production practices and technology, promoting local sufficiency, and uplifting farmers towards a sustainable future.
