The Negros Green Producers Association (NGPA) strengthening continues with training and networking. More than 200 farmers attended the various training from IQCS, natural dyes making, handicrafts and making of virgin coconut oil (VCO) which is both medicinal and which could also be used for cooking.

The Negros Green Producers Association has currently 201 young and old, women and men grower-producer-traders membership. Plans for 2006 include expansion of rural enterprises in terms of scale and to downsize the number of enterprises based on resources and skills availability and the potential for market viability.

Once wrongly accused of increasing cholesterol levels, VCO is now actually being used by doctors in the treatment of a variety of disorders. It has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties, and now used for treating AIDS patients. Clinical researches in the Philippines in 2005 showed that coconut oil does indeed reduce the viral load in AIDS patients.

NGPA is considering adopting a variation of the national government’s strategy of one product, one organization. This requires that apart from organic rice each PO member of NGPA will undertake a market study of the winning product. 0For  2005, slippers made of abaca and pandan and placemats and coasters from cogon are the new additions to the growing number of community viable enterprises.

A fair-trade conference in 2005 attended by 36 GPTs. Held at the St. Ezekiel Moreno Learning Center at Barangay Handumanan Bacolod City, the participants joined workshops where they identified their top 3 “winning products.” products that sell and provide them tangible incomes.

But the conference also identified challenges in enterprise development, which include small capital, low farmgate prices, bad roads, distance from market, increases in transport fuel costs, market fluctuations, low volume production, inadequate technology for efficient manufacturing processes which results in smallscale low production.

Farmers held their elections after they discussed the attributes of an effective leader (time for organization, capable, knowledgeable, sincere, principled, reliable and trustworthy, presentable, has strength and determination, many contacts, respected by members and people in the community, knows how to plan and good advocate. The new set of officers are: Winnie Mondia, President (23 yrs old, Yubo, La Carlota); Melanie Cahilig (3, Nailab, La Carlota); Ester Segovia, Secretary (55, Cadiz); Delia de los Santos, Treasurer (45, Calatrava); Rudy Salvador, Auditor (60, San Enrique) and Francisco Villa, PIO (57, Murcia).