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Message
 Welcome to the information portal of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC)!
As the government’s primary institution in rural finance policy and programs, the ACPC, through this website, marks its space in the global information highway to reach out to our stakeholders and make known our humble contributions in national development.
Born part of the sweeping economic reforms brought about by the return of democracy in 1986, the ACPC is a pioneering reformist mandated to pursue innovations in rural and agricultural finance. To address the need for access to sustainable credit of its small farmer and fisherfolk stakeholders, the ACPC has fostered a robust market orientation and holistic approach to the rural credit system. This enabled ACPC to develop and implement policies and innovative financing programs, including the umbrella credit program for the agriculture sector, the Agro-industry Modernization Credit and Financing Program (AMCFP).
Moreover, ACPC pursues capacity building of farmers and fisherfolk organizations, the collection of payments for past credit programs to add up to the available credit funds, policy research, monitoring of government agri-credit programs and bank lending to the sector, and advocacy.
A depth of knowledge awaits you which we hope you will find useful. Happy surfing!
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ACPC Programs
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CBAP
COOPERATIVE BANKS AGRI-LENDING PROGRAM (CBAP)
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 AFMP-PCFC
AGRI-MICROFINANCE PROGRAM
(AMP) FOR SMALL FARMERS
AND FISHERFOLK AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS
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AFMP-Fishery
AGRI-FISHERY MICROFINANCE
PROGRAM (AFMP) FOR SMALL
FARM AND FISHING HOUSEHOLDS
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FFP
FISHERIES FINANCING PROGRAM (FFP) FOR FINANCING TO VALUE CHAIN ACTIVITIES OF SMALL FISHERIES STAKEHOLDERS AND MICROFINANCE LOANS TO SMALL FISHING HOUSEHOLDS
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ACPC officers and staff distribute relief goods to typhoon victims
click here for the story
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ACPC bats for microfinance for farmers vs. climate change
Microfinance can help mitigate the adverse impact of climate change on farmers. This is the gist of ACPC’s program proposal entitled “Microfinance to Mitigate the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change.” The paper emphasized the need for the country’s agricultural system to adapt to climate change being the sector that is most vulnerable to the environmental challenge. The system includes the country’s rural poor whose livelihood depend mainly on agriculture, where a drop in the level of farm productivity ultimately translates to a drop in income for the farmer.
The paper discussed that providing access to microfinance for farm adaptation activities provides poor farmers with an alternative means of livelihood and increased income, leaving them less susceptible to the effects of climate change.
One adaptation activity involves encouraging farmers to venture into crop diversification, alternating their regular crops with more “climate-resilient” or “harder” crops such as cassava, sorghum, barley and millet, among others. Diversifying into other crops and cropping practices better suited to harsh environments can stabilize the flow of income in a farmer’s household.
"The Consultative Group on International Agricultural
Research (CGIAR) has reported that scientific breakthroughs
in molecular biology have allowed plant breeders to
develop rice, maize and other crop varieties with
greater tolerance to stresses such as drought, heat
and flooding."
However, financing institutions such as banks will not be too keen on financing borrowers who are into farming new crops in an inherently risky agricultural industry. For the production of the priority commodities of the DA alone (palay, corn, coconut, sugarcane, and fisheries), the ACPC estimated that the credit requirements stood at P207 billion (US$4.3 billion) in 2008.
Hence, in the proposal, a pilot microfinance intervention that will serve as a model for banks will prove that production loans for climate change-friendly crops, coupled with training and technical assistance,
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and proper monitoring can be a profitable investment. With the model to replicate, banks will become more willing to extend loans to farmers who will shift to this new crop level and similar farm activities.
The proposed project will utilize the technical expertise of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and other agencies of the DA in identifying agricultural areas most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Coastal areas, for instance, may be affected by rising sea levels and soil salinity, due to increased salt deposits in the soil. Orientation and social preparation activities for potential farmer participants will follow suit once specific pilot areas have been chosen. The provision of microfinance and capacity building activities will constitute the last phase of the project. ACPC will oversee the implementation of the program.
The proposal is one of the projects endorsed by the Project Development Service of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in July 2009 to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for funding under the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) in the Philippines.
APRACA elects ACPC as the center of excellence on microfinance in agriculture
ACPC Deputy Executive Director Jocelyn Alma R. Badiola and Dir. Magdalena S. Casuga
(4th and 5th from right) with Atty. Eduardo Garcia, ACPC Legal Counsel and APRACA CENTRAB
Executive Director (2nd from right) during the first meeting of the APRACA Centers of Excellence (ACE)
in Hanoi, Vietnam where ACPC was chosen as ACE on Microfinance in Agriculture.
Deputy Executive Director Jocelyn Alma R. Badiola and Director Magdalena Casuga, ACPC representatives in the meeting impressed upon the APRACA-member institutions the capability of ACPC to become APRACA’s knowledge hub on microfinance in agriculture in the region through the agency’s extensive experience and reputable competence in agricultural credit policy and action research.
An APRACA Center of Excellence or ACE is a designation given to an APRACA- member institution which, jointly with APRACA, will carry out projects focused on a specific theme. The scheme aims to: 1) reinforce APRACA’s management of knowledge to come up with the desired and ideal outputs; 2) to undertake activities on a more continuing basis; and 3) to develop a more permanent working relationship among APRACA-member institutions.
As the ACE in microfinance in agriculture, ACPC’s activities include: carrying out researches and studies; conduct of forums, training courses and exposure visits; provision of consulting services and technical support to other member institutions; pilot testing of innovations on the thematic focus; publications and multimedia design; and development of technical and training guides.
ACPC Executive Director Jovita M. Corpuz, president of the APRACA’s training and research arm said that, “It is our hope that as the APRACA center of excellence on microfinance in agriculture, ACPC will be able to carve its niche in the region as a knowledge source in rural finance in Asia and the Pacific.” She added that ACPC will not only upgrade the expertise of its personnel, enhance the quality of its information/communication materials but also boost its institutional capability as a powerhouse of rural financial innovations.
APRACA is a regional association that promotes cooperation and facilitates mutual exchange of information and expertise in the field of rural finance and agricultural credit. Its mission is to pursue promotion of the efficiency and effectiveness of rural finance and access to financial services in order to broaden the target group. APRACA currently has about 60 member-institutions from more than 20 different countries.
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