16/10/2026
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ππππππ | Completing K5βs Value Chain through RCEF RPS
When Kilusang Lima Para Sa Lahat Multipurpose Cooperative (K5) was established in 2004 in Talavera, Nueva Ecija, it had only 15 members and PhP 60,000 in share capital. Initially a micro-lending initiative for rural women, K5 has since grown into a multi-branch cooperative serving more than 2,400 members.
At the heart of K5βs growth is its commitment to helping farming families become more financially secure. Through affordable agricultural loans and partnerships with financing institutions, the cooperative provided an alternative to informal lenders.
But as K5 expanded its services, another challenge became increasingly difficult to ignore: What happens to farmersβ harvest after it leaves the field?
Traditionally, farmers relied on manual drying and warehouse storage. During the rainy season, wet palay was at risk while waiting to be dried, while those who needed to sell immediately were vulnerable to low trader prices.
For founding members Guillermo C. Bacsa and Percie M. Engasa, both 47, this gap made it clear that funding alone was not enough. K5 needed to become part of the next stages of the rice value chain.
π Read the full story here: https://tinyurl.com/sarfcwwp