MITIGATING CoVID-19 CHALLENGES THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED FARM ENTERPRISE: A CASE FROM THE PROVINCE OF MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL, PHILIPPINES

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge to the food security and income of the farmers, which needed an immediate response from various stakeholders, especially the academe. Central Mindanao University (CMU), Northwestern Mindanao State College of Science and Technology (NMSCST), Northern Mindanao Consortium for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NOMCAARRD), and other stakeholders pulled together to address the gap. A response program was conceptualized to be a community-based agricultural enterprise. The implementation of this initiative is seen to be an innovative process in which both the challenge of the pandemic and the challenge for the academe in terms of technology transfer were addressed. This paper presents the activities conducted and the output of the project in terms of the farmer's income. Data from project reports was analyzed using a descriptive research design and a case study method. Information, Education, and Materials (IEC) were developed, and some were copyrighted. A package of Technologies (POT) was transferred, and capability-building activities were conducted. As a result of the activities, a Return on Investment for the established farm is computed at 5.4%. Therefore, with the project, food was provided to the beneficiaries and an additional income was generated. It is recommended that the model be replicated in more Local Government Units (LGUs) in Misamis Occidental, Philippines. Keywords: Community-based enterprise, market linkage, Agriculture.