AN agro-enterprise project, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has beefed up 'value chain' opportunities for Filipino farmers in 21 poverty-stricken provinces, linking them to markets, credit, training and technology.

In a webinar, hosted by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), the Department of Trade and Industry reported that a project called 'Rapid' had been helping raise income for small farmers and unemployed rural women. Rapid stood for Rural Agro Enterprise Partnership for Inclusive Development and Growth.