The Full Story
The story of our cooperative, the Barangay Tua Farmers Agriculture Cooperative (BATUFA), is one of resilience, heritage, and community spirit. We are deeply rooted in our family, history, culture, and the daily life experiences of our farming community.
In the Beginning
It all started with farmers like Geronimo Mendoza, who began farming in 1950, cultivating crops such as rice, corn, and soy. Geronimo witnessed the hardships faced by farmers, demanding better infrastructure such as a hanging bridge to get themselves across a river, and struggling with the fluctuating prices of agricultural products. However, the formation of the cooperative brought a new ray of hope for Geronimo and his fellow farmers.
Teodor Latibigan is a passionate farmer that has been farming together with his parents and grandparents since he was a young boy. They cultivated a variety of crops, including corn, rice, papaya, and bananas. Inspired by their family's legacy, Teodor ventured into growing black pepper and coffee. His daily routine involved drinking a cup of coffee before heading straight to the farm. The cooperative played a significant role in their success, as they quickly sold their coffee and benefited from stable pricing.
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The journey continued with the collaboration of Joseph Tampes, Ben Vicedo, and other coffee and coconut farmers, which led to the birth of BATUFA. With the goal of achieving food sufficiency and sustainability, the cooperative developed six blends of coffee, each with its unique taste and aroma. By purchasing coffee directly from the farmers at a fair price, the cooperative enabled higher gains for farmers and empowered them with knowledge through seminars on coffee processing and selling.
Barangay Tua Farmers
BATUFA also aimed to foster a strong bond among all farmers in the area, creating a supportive community where everyone thrives. With 83 members and a target of including all farmers as members, the cooperative has positively impacted the lives of 50% of farmers in their area, elevating their standard of living.
As we work towards our mission of stabilizing prices and uplifting the living conditions of farmers, we are guided by our core values. We believe in excellence, customer care, continuous improvement, team spirit, and transparency. These values shape our cooperative's operations and ensure that we provide high-quality products to our customers.
