Bataan 1st District Cong. Tony Roman has filed House Bill 608, also known as the Farmer Coopetition and Empowerment Act, a measure aimed at strengthening the agricultural sector by promoting cooperation and healthy competition among farmers.

The proposed law introduces the concept of “coopetition”, where farmer groups collaborate to share resources while maintaining competitiveness in the market.

At the center of the bill is the establishment of multi-purpose Farmer Coopetition Hubs, which will serve as shared facilities for post-harvest processing, storage, milling, training, and direct marketing.

The hubs are expected to reduce farmers’ reliance on middlemen and help secure better prices for their produce.

Under the measure, farmers will be organized into legally recognized clusters that will become preferred conduits for government assistance.

The hubs will initially be managed by professional teams, with a gradual transition to farmer-led governance to ensure long-term sustainability and capacity building.

Roman said the bill responds to long-standing challenges faced by Filipino farmers, particularly high production costs and low farmgate prices.

He said his proposed law is expected to raise farmers’ incomes, promote rural entrepreneurship, and build more resilient agricultural communities across the country.

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