TACLOBAN CITY – Land Reform Secretary Rene C. Villa has expressed reservation for corporate farming, but encourages prospective investors willing to invest in agriculture to go for joint venture arrangements with farmer’s cooperative.

Regional Director Tiburcio Morales Jr. of the Department of Land Reform disclosed that during the 41 st anniversary of the Kiwanis Club of Manila, Secretary Villa said he agrees that corporate farming could help pump up the economy, but he maintains that DLR is duty-bound to protect the interest of farmer-beneficiaries.

“ Plantation farming is allowed by law. What is not allowed is for private individuals or groups to go on a buying spree of land for purposes of putting up a corporate farm,” Morales quoted Villa, adding that it would only defeat the purpose of the 3government’s land reform.

Morales said that the Secretary suggested that prospective investors make a valid land use arrangement with farmer’s cooperatives for agribusiness venture for a certain period of time.

According to Morales, Villa stressed “any point venture arrangements between prospective investors and farmers’ cooperatives must have clearance form DLR for purpose of ensuring the protection of farmers’ rights.”

Previous land reform administration had been encouraging such a joint venture arrangement between farmer-beneficiaries and prospective investors. Various ideas cropped up such as “Magkasaka” of former Secretary Horacio Morales; “Bayan-Anihan” of former Secretary Hernani Braganza; and “Kalahi” of former Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan.

All of these ideas have a common agenda-ownership of the land remains with the farmer-beneficiaries. Only the “legitimate use of the land” is entered into a contract, not the land itself, so that in aces of bankruptcy of the joint venture, the farmers would still retain ownership of their landholdings.