BLOCK FARMING

 Introduced in pilot farms in 2012 by the SRA in collaboration with other government
agencies such as the DAR.
 Pres. Benigno Aquino, III on March 27, 2015, signed into law Republic Act 10659 otherwise
known as the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) 2015.
 Under the SIDA, 300 million pesos will be allocated every year from the President’s
program of expenditures for submission to Congress to assist sugarcane block farm starting
2016.
 2017 SRA Allocation for Block Farming – 324 million; Allocation for Visayas -194 million

Basic Qualification Requirements of Block Farms

1. A Block Farm should enroll at least 30 hectares for sugarcane cultivation;

2. The area should be within 2-kilometer radius from one farm to the other;
3. The Block Farm should have legal personality (registered with either CDA, SEC, DOLE);
4. Majority of the members are farmers with small land holdings (5 hectares and below
including ARBs).

BLOCK FARMING ADVANTAGES

SUGAR MILL FARMERS/ARBs
 Farm to Mill Road  One-time grant or socialized credit for
-15million per kilometer farm production inputs and/or
-Reduction of cane hauling/transport cost mechanization project per Block Farm
from the farms to the VMC mills Cluster
-Reduction of expenses for road repairs -Php41,800 per hectare
-1.2 million or more start-up capital
 Can be utilized by Cane Sourcing  Loan/Financing Facilitation
Department for the Company’s  Seedlings and fertilizer grant
advantage.  Farm Equipment
-Tractors
 Grant for Nurseries -Harvesters
-Php89,000 per hectare  Livelihood Assistance
-SRA will buy the seedlings (laksa) with the -Coordination with DOLE, DTI and other
prevailing market price government agencies
-There was an instance DOLE granted a
1 million livelihood package
 Educational Scholarships
-TESDA
-College Degree
-Master’s Degree
-Doctorate Degree
 Establishment of High Yielding Variety
(HYV) nurseries or provisions for HYV
canepoints
-Php85,000 per hectare
 Farm Manager for every Block Farm
 Capacity building for sugarcane farm
managers
 Preference on irrigation project
proposals if they will redound to the
benefit of the Block Farms.