Effectiveness of Tagum City Agrivolving Fund (TAF) Program for Rice Farmers in Davao del Norte, Philippines

The main objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the Tagum City Agrivolving Fund (TAF) program for rice farmers. A mixed-method research design was employed for this study. The sample of 150 rice farmers from six farmers' associations in Davao del Norte was determined using stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a survey questionnaire that was validated by experts. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted using frequency, mean, and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of the farming population in the study consisted of older individuals, aged 41 years old and above. The gender distribution among the respondents in the Tagum City Agrivolving Fund Program showed a slightly higher representation of male farmers. Most farmers had relatively small to moderate-sized households and low monthly incomes. Furthermore, the majority of farmers were elementary graduates. They owned the land they cultivated, with small to medium-sized farm lots ranging from 1 to 5 hectares. Additionally, the program had a significant positive impact on the mean volume of rice production, which potentially improved the farmers' income. The results also indicated that the repayment terms of the Tagum City Agrivolving Fund (TAF) Program were consistently observed and perceived as very high in terms of program practices. Moreover, the effectiveness of the program in terms of access to credit, loan size, interest rate, repayment terms, and availability of technical support was reported as very high, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in empowering and facilitating agricultural endeavors. However, the rice farmers in the Tagum City Agrivolving Fund (TAF) Program faced challenges such as insufficient financing for rice production, low return on investment, delayed action on the needs of rice farmers, and scarcity of water supply.