Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11321)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11321 is the "Sagip Saka Act."
The State aims to achieve sustainable modern agriculture and food security by helping agricultural and fishing communities to reach their full potential, increase incomes of farmers and fishermen, and bridge gaps through public-private partnerships.
It is a comprehensive program established to promote enterprises involving agricultural and fishery products, consistent with the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Plan and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Plan.
Assistance includes improvement of production and productivity, access to financing including credit and insurance, provision of improved technologies through R&D, and business support services like market access and networking.
Beneficiaries include existing producer groups in priority commodity chains, farmers and fisherfolk willing to cluster and form marketing agreements, farmer groups undergoing capacity building, and MSME processors and enterprises assisting clusters.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is the primary implementing agency of the Program.
Criteria include commitment to enter into marketing contracts with producers, willingness to transfer technology, financial and organizational capability, and relevant experience in the enterprise.
The Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Council was created to oversee the proper implementation of the Program.
They are encouraged to directly purchase agricultural and fishery products from accredited farmers and fisherfolk cooperatives, and such procurement is exempt from the standard bidding process but must follow negotiated procurement guidelines.
The Act provides donor's tax exemption for gifts and donations, real property tax exemption on certain structures, preferential lending rates from Land Bank, and income tax exemptions for registered Barangay Micro-Business Enterprises (BMBEs).
It assists government planning, provides an enterprise registry, lists private sector participants, and helps respond to the needs of local and world markets for enterprise development.
It covers production, acquisition of equipment and inputs, processing, procurement, construction of facilities related to agriculture and fisheries, working capital for graduates, support to ecology enhancing activities, long gestating projects, and credit guarantees.
By requiring counterpart funding from LGUs and farmer organizations, tapping resources from various agencies, creating local councils, and establishing partnerships with private sector entities that meet specific criteria.
The Act took effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.