AgriNurture taps Davao tribe for crop planting plan

Listed agriculture trading firm AgriNurture Inc. (ANI) has partnered with a local tribe in Davao for the planting of rice and corn to 38,000 hectares of ancestral lands in the province.

In a regulatory filing, ANI said it recently inked a 25-year agreement with Davao’s Unified BagoboTagabawa Tribe (UBTT) to produce the “BigMa” (bigas-mais or ricecorn) blend.

Such a move makes ANI closer to its large-scale corn production project to introduce its rice-corn blend as a healthier alternative for local consumers.

ANI president and CEO Antonio Tiu said the deal aims to promote inclusive agricultural and economic growth through the development of agricultural plantations.

Under the deal, ANI will utilize the unused portions of the ancestral land of UBTT, invest in the development, operation and management of a rice and corn plantation and integrated corn processing facility to produce its BigMa product.

BigMa is a unique, low-glycemic rice-corn blend rich in dietary fiber. It is touted as a healthier staplefood alternative for Filipinos. Local farmers also stand to benefit as demand for BigMa grows.

In exchange for the rights granted to ANI over their ancestral lands, UBTT will receive annual royalty fees based on actual utilized land and annual net profit share from the project.

“The project aims to provide an alternative staple for the country, reduce the country’s dependence on rice imports, create more jobs for Filipinos and reduce the country’s carbon footprint,” Tiu said.

“At least 10,000 new jobs are expected to be created under this venture,” he said.

Apart from the agricultural partnership, ANI will also develop programs on health, skills development and alternative livelihood for the communities.

Together with UBTT, various government agencies and foundations, ANI will also plant trees in more than 2,000 hectares of land.

The Department of Agriculture earlier lauded ANI’s initiative to promote the BigMa rice-corn blend in the Visayas and Mindanao areas, and eventually in other regions of the country.

The DA noted that the project is a timely initiative as a food resiliency intervention amid the pandemic.

ANI is one of the country’s major exporters of fruits to the world and pioneer of coconut water and plantbased products.

Agri-entrepreneur Antonio Tiu (3rd from left), chairman and CEO of AgriNurture Inc., signs a memorandum of agreement with Davao’s Unified Bagobo-Tagabawa Tribe to plant rice and corn in up to 38,000 hectares of ancestral land. Among the co-signatories are UBTT leaders Datu Ernesto Salaysay (2nd from left), Datu Rogelio Manapol (4th from right) and chieftain Gerlina Owok (right).