Antique: A shared service facility (SSF) has enabled a farmers' cooperative in Antique to process surplus vegetable products, thereby generating increased income. 'Since squash and other vegetables are abundant in our municipality, we decided to produce squash noodles and powder, veggie sticks, and malunggay powder,' explained Zenia Nacionales, manager of the Esparar Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MPC) during an interview on Friday.

According to Philippines News Agency, instead of letting vegetables go to waste due to a lack of market, the cooperative devised a plan to process them into noodles, chips, and powder. They purchase squash from their members at PHP10 to PHP15 per kilo and sell their processed products at trade fairs and on an order basis.

With the introduction of the SSF, production has increased significantly, boosting their monthly income from just over PHP10,000 to PHP25,000. 'Our farmer-members, in addition to selling their farm produce to the MPC, receive a patronage refund as coop members at the end of the year,' Nacionales noted. Presently, the cooperative employs 10 farmer-members as food processors, with an additional five available on-call for large orders.

The cooperative has also taken advantage of training on packing and costing from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). 'We are preparing for the Panublion trade fair this December. We are hopeful to make good sales,' Nacionales stated. The Panublion trade fair is part of the month-long Binirayan Festival of Antique in December.

The DTI initially provided the cooperative, based in Barbaza, Antique, with an SSF in 2016, followed by additional equipment in 2018. The equipment includes a grinder, dryer, baking mixer, moisture tester, and cutter.