Park offers agriculture tour, good deals for farmers

ROSARIO, Philippines—A new concept in agriculture that combines farming with tourism has taken shape in Rosario, Batangas.

Called Sunchamp, the agriculture-tourism park not only seeks to empower farmers through deals that would give them a guaranteed market for their produce, but also to bring tourism to another level.

In a statement, the Agrinurture Inc. (ANI), the firm that developed the Sunchamp agritourism park, said the park is open to tourists who could get a closer look at agricultural processes through the park’s many facilities.

These facilities include a greenhouse, an orchid nursery and farms for mango, mahogany and asparagus, the ANI statement said.

It said ANI entered into a partnership agreement with other groups, like Jollibee Foundation, for a program to help farmers around Sto. Rosario get better deals. Under the program, farmers are given seedlings and become contract growers for ANI.

“This type of cooperation between the farmers and the corporations will serve as a demonstration that the symbiotic relationship is possible and profitable,” said the ANI statement.

“In the end, this will lead to endless possibilities,” it said.

Sunchamp was opened to the public on Aug. 5 in ceremonies led by businessman Tony Tiu, founder and executive chair of ANI.

The ANI statement said it was Tiu’s dream to bring Sunchamp to reality. It is a park that actually generates produce and, at the same time, brings awareness on different stages of food production through tourism.

Among those who attended the opening of Sunchamp are Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, presidential adviser on agriculture, and Sen. Antonio Trillanes. A group of orphans was also given a tour of the agritourism park.

They were briefed on greenhouse facilities for high value crops like lettuce, bell pepper, tomato and spices. A research and development center for carabao mango and cacao production inside the park was also opened to the guests.

The JCB Farm of Vice President Jejomar Binay used to have leasehold improvements in a small portion of the agri-industrial estate.

In the ANI statement, Tiu said Sunchamp is the realization of his dream for corporate success to be inclusive.

“I think corporations all over the world are starting to realize that survival, or the measurement of success, for a company does not rely on numbers alone, but on how much you have contributed to humanity,” said Tiu.