Assessment Of Agri-Business Ventures in Davao Occidental

Abstract

This descriptive study was conducted to assess the agri-business ventures in Davao Occidental. Four municipalities were included, namely Malita, Sta. Maria, Don Marcelino, and Jose Abad Santos.  The statistical tools used were frequency, percentage, and mean. Respondents were chosen through random sampling. Results showed that most of the respondents who engaged in agri-business aged 36-40 years old were mostly female, married, college graduates, Roman Catholic, and Cebuano. Moreover, the majority of the respondents preferred sole proprietorship as a legal form of agri-business organization, merchandising of agricultural products. The size of the agri-business in terms of capitalization falls under the micro category with an investment of P3,000,000.00 and below and employs at least one worker. The practice of agri-business in Davao Occidental in terms of production was sourcing raw materials from the locality due to the availability and abundance of agricultural products. Only a few respondents used technology in their businesses, and workers were hired from the locality to provide employment and income for the families. Most of the respondents preferred owner`s equity as initial investment and operating expenses, and marketing of the products was done through retailers. The term of payment was on a cash-to-cash basis, and the mode of promotion was publicity. The problem faced by the entrepreneurs was the transport of products from the farm to the assembly area or consumers—the high cost of transportation and damage during hauling led to a reduction in profits for the entrepreneurs.