In 1995, Republic Act 7900 known as the High Value Crops Development Act was created. It is an act to promote the production, processing, marketing and distribution of high value crops. Previously the program was called as High Value Commercial Crops Program and since it was aligned with the RA 7900, the program is now known as High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP).

High Value Crops Development Program is one of  the banner programs of the Department of Agriculture mandated to contribute for attainment of the food self sufficiency, economic growth  and enhancement of consumer’s health and welfare. It also promotes the production, processing, marketing and distribution of high value crops.

The four (4) pillars that play a vital role for the program are:

  • Land ( productive and health soil)
  • Small producers (organized, interested and competent farming communities)
  • Support System (appropriate technology, functional support services and structure)
  • Legal/Policy ( enabling environment for production and competition)

Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives of the Program

Vision

A productive farming community

Mission

  • Empowers high value crops producers
  • Helps attain food self sufficiency and economic growth

Goals

  • Increase production, income and livelihood opportunities among small producers
  • Access to affordable, safe and health food

Objectives

  • Delivery of appropriate development support services
  • Facilitate and harmonize development interventions in the strategic production areas/zones
  • Facilitate and promote access to local and international market
  • Proactive management actions on demand and supply situation

Priority Areas Being Given Support by the Program

  • Convergence Area
  • Strategic Production Zone
  • Farm Households

Priority Commodities include:

  • Vegetables (lowland, upland, spices and indigenous)
  • Major fruits (mango, banana and pineapple)
  • Local/regional fruits with seasonal and local demand (durian, pili, cashew, etc.)
  • Industrial/plantation crops (coffee, cacao and rubber)
  • Alternative staple food crops (banana-saba and rootcrops)

Program Thrusts and Priorities

  • Advancement of efficiency level of farm operation and management
  • Enhancement of productivity and production of priority commodities
  • Compliance with export protocols and product standard
  • High value crops linked to local and international markets and steady supply and prices of primary commodities.

Program Strategic Directions

  • Provide quality planting materials for priority commodities to enhance productivity and production
  • Improve commodity competitiveness in order to reduce importation of various vegetables; employ value chain analysis approach as a tool for value adding and product development
  • Productivity enhancement through the conduct of technology demonstration cum production to address the proper management of old coffee and cacao trees (rejuvenation and rehabilitation program)
  • Establish production facilities and postharvest equipment and machineries; support the full utilization of local and traditional crop species with net potential
  • Support to research, development and extension services
  • Coordinate and support to food safety and consumer’s welfare and build stronger coordination and partnership with LGUs, POs and stakeholders

Priority Programs

            Area Expansion

                        Commodities: Coffee, Cacao and Rubber

                        Objective : Increase Productivity and Production

            Productivity Enhancement

                        Commodities : Vegetables, Fruits and Rootcrops

                        Objective : Enhance productivity and production

            Cost Competitiveness Towards Import Substitution

Commodities : Mungbean, Peanut, Garlic, Yellow Onion, Atchuete, Black

                        Pepper, White Potato

Objective : Lessen importation of various vegetables through increase in

      production

Support to Production of Local/Traditional Commodities With Seasonal/Local Demand

            Commodities : Local Fruits (Regional Champions)

            Objectives : Increase production of local/traditional fruits

Promote regional/traditional fruits in the local and international

Postharvest/Value Adding/Product Development

            Commodities : Fruits, Vegetables, industrial Crops, Rootcrops

            Objective : Provide additional income to farmers/organizations

Support to Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation

                        Commodities : Vegetables, Fruits, Industrial Crops, Rootcrops

                        Objective : Provide mitigating/adaptive measures for climate change

Interventions by Major Final Output

MFO 1. Technical Support Services

2.1 Production Support Services

  • Production and procurement of vegetable seeds
  • Production of vegetable seeds for buffer stocking
  • Production and procurement of planting materials
  • Provision of farm production equipment and machineries (tractor, hand tractor, power sprayers, knapsack sprayers, etc) (For DA Stations)
  • Establishment, rehabilitation, maintenance of production facilities (nurseries, greenhouses, rainshelter, tissue culture laboratory, seed storage, clonal garden, foundation scion grove, budwood garden) (For DA Stations)
  • Mapping of production/vulnerable areas
  • Monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects
  • Support to Integrated Laboratory

2.2 Market Development Services

  • Conduct of market assessment/benchmarking/market reconnaissance
  • Market related events (local and international ) funded, assisted and participated

 2.3 Extension Support, Education and Training Services

  • Conduct of training and training related events (POT, TOT, Season Long, Farmers’ Field School)
  • Info and advocacy ( IEC materials, radio and TV plugs produced and aired, press release and info caravan)
  • Conduct of technology demonstrations
  • Support to Agricultural Extension Workers

2.4 Research and Development

  • Funding of production and postharvest related research activities (Applied Research and Technology Commercialization)

MFO 3. Irrigation Network Services

  • Construction/installation of small scale irrigation projects ( shallow tube well/PISOS, small farm reservoir, spring development, drip, wind pump, solar and ram pump)
  • Provision of HDPE pipes and water plastic drums

MFO 5. Agricultural and Fishery Machinery, Equipment and Facilities Support

  Services

  • Provision of farm production equipment and machineries (tractor, hand tractor, power sprayers, knapsack sprayers, etc) (LGUs and POs as partners)
  • Establishment and rehabilitation of production facilities (nurseries, greenhouses, rainshelter, tissue culture laboratory, seed storage, clonal garden, foundation scion grove, budwood garden) (LGUs and POs as partners)
  • Provision of postharvest/processing equipment and machineries (banana chipper, cacao grinder, fermentation box, coffee dehuller, fruit dehydrator, peanut sheller, mungbean thresher, drier, etc)
  • Establishment/ construction of community based postharvest/processing facilities (onion hanger storage, fermentation facility, coffee roasting facility, cacao products processing facility, banana chips processing facility, vegetable flour processing facility)