Cooperative Turns Pest-Damaged Crops Into Profitable Snacks

According to the PNA, farming group Halog West Producers Cooperative successfully mitigated crop losses from pests by processing white corn into a crunchy snack food, generating over PHP 1.4 million in gross income. The initiative, which launched to protect member earnings from worm infestations, transformed raw agricultural waste into a marketable product sold directly to regional centers and online buyers.

Based in Tubao, La Union, the cooperative consists of 172 farmers and their families who have been producing the snack, locally known as “chichacorn,” since 2009. The municipality of Tubao is a major producer of white corn, but local farmers frequently faced severe crop damage from pests.

To address these losses, the group transitioned from operating a basic grocery retail shop into a food processing enterprise. They received technical training and equipment from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), alongside support from the provincial government of La Union.

The cooperative secured its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) license to operate in 2014, allowing them to expand distribution. Last year, members harvested 8.5 tons of white corn, processing more than five tons of the yield into snacks at their dedicated processing facility. The group is currently developing banana chips and decorative crafts made from corn leaves to further diversify their income.

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SOURCE: PNA