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| Developing the Kaong Value Chain in Mindanao, Philippines, SDCAsia 2005 |
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| Country(ies) | Philippines |
| Implementing agency(ies) | SDCAsia (Strategic Development Cooperation Asia) |
| Funding agency(ies) | Swisscontact (SC), USAID |
| Date completed | August 2005 |
| Geographic setting(s) | Rural |
| Target Group(s) | Farmers, Micro |
| Sub-sector(s) | Ag Processing, Natural Products |
| Contact person(s) | Ms. Marian Boquiren |
| Web site | http://www.sdcasia.ph |
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Description
The Business Development Services (BDS) project for the Kaong subsector aims to increase growth and income among rural upland micro enterprises. The project links indigenous communities who semi-process Kaong with mainstream markets and improves the competitiveness of the value chains in which they participate. Kaong is a variety of wild sugar tree which abounds in the forests of Davao del Sur-Mindanao. This area is populated by indigenous peoples primarily the Bagobos. Using indigenous technology, kaong parts are processed for livelihood and subsistence. The sugar palm is a multipurpose species used for a variety of purposes such as: edible starch, fruit preserves, sweet sap (fermented to vinegar), fruit thatch, and construction materials.
Interventions are made in incremental steps based on a dynamic participatory analysis of the value chain and the consequent identification of gaps and constraints that are most crucial to enabling resource poor enterprises to capture more value within the chain. The project, which started in 2002 and ending in 2006, focuses on improving the semi-processing activities of the indigenous people communities, strengthening links in the value chain, increasing and improving access and delivery of business and technical services throughout the value chain, strengthening horizontal links among market players and establishing and promoting process and product quality standards.
This paper describes the project and the various strategies and interventions that SDCAsia has used to develop the kaong value chain. It then presents project progress and impact data to August, 2005. In addition to quantitative information on impact at the household level, the paper presents an interesting qualitative evaluation of the progress in developing value chain relationships and penetrating higher value markets.
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