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Farmer’s co-op eyes new board to resolve ‘divisions’
With “divisions” and lack of support besetting the current board, an election of new board members is on the agenda for the CNMI Farmer’s Cooperative Association’s first general membership meeting, whenever it does occur, according to co-op officials.
It was earlier reported the meeting would be held on Jan. 14 but this has been pushed back.
Co-op treasurer Ignacio Concepcion said yesterday that only three board members supported the market: himself, president Maria “Frica” Pangelinan, and secretary Isidoro Cabrera.
“We are seven [board members] and the [other] four don’t ever come here,” he said, adding that officials have selected and confirmed a new set of seven board members.
“We informed them already. They agree, so what we’ll do is have a meeting,” he said.
The January meeting was postponed because the co-op did not have enough time to notify the members by letter, according to Cabrera in a separate interview.
He said the market is “trying to form a board.” He said he would plan with Pangelinan for the next meeting.
“We are trying to organize and select people who really support the market, because the present board is divided. There are board [members] in the co-op who are supporting the Sabalu [Market].”
He described this as a “a big conflict of interest.” He said they are trying to have a board “who in their heart support the co-op.”
“There are seven board [members] right now, and only three are active in supporting the co-op. The other four are not supporting the co-op. They never go there [to the market] and sell, and are members of the Sabalu Market,” he said.
The Sabalu Market has been labeled as the Garapan market’s competitors. They operate in the Susupe area on Saturdays.
According to Cabrera, the current board members are Pangelinan; vice president JM Guerrero; himself, Concepcion, Manuel Borja, Ramon Camacho, and Jesus Castro.
There are 70 or so co-op members, according to Cabrera. He also indicated he would stay on with the board, but Pangelinan told him last week that she “might step down” at the meeting.
“We will probably be hiring her as a manager or consultant,” he said, adding that the co-op intends to have her with them “all the way.”
