Cebu hosts 2nd Fruits, Veggies Market & Trade Exhibit

Farmers, producers earned P70M a month after 1st fruits, veggies exhibit

Thursday 7th of June 2012

CEBU CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- Agri-products from South Cotabato in Mindanao will be showcased in Cebu City as the three-day "2nd Visayas-Mindanao Fruits and Vegetable Market Encounter and Trade Exhibit" kicks off this Friday, June 8.

The activity aims to provide a venue for producers and traders of fruits, vegetables, processed products, tuna, and rice in South Cotabato to link with institutional market buyers here, said Cris Lucero, chief of the Agri-business Division of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 7.

“Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas are importing 60 to 70 percent of their fruits and vegetables supply from Mindanao,” said Lucero during this morning’s Kapihan sa PIA that mainly featured the upcoming event.

Lucero said there is an essential need to link the farmers and producers with the market buyers to ensure the economic growth of the agri-industry.

Bai Dido Samama, Lucero’s counterpart in DA-12 said there are around 30 exhibitors from their region that will participate in the three-day market and trade fair.

“We are hoping that after the activity, our farmers and producers in South Cotabato will have Cebu as one of their main markets for their produce,” said Samama.

Mindanao is dubbed as the country’s food basket as Lucero stressed it is part of the DA’s mandate to assist in the marketing opportunities for our agri-farmers and producers in order to sustain the economic growth of the industry.

Romano Laurilla, one of the exhibitors that will display their various organic rice products expressed optimism that they can tap Cebu as one of their main markets.

“Our organic rice products are already being shipped to Manila. And we are proud to say that we are the first cooperative in the country that is exporting certified organic rice to Germany,” stressed Laurilla.

Laurilla represented the Bios Dynamics Cooperative from North Cotabato whose organic rice products are available in variants such as black, lilac, red, pink, brown, and white.

Ama said among the agri-products on display at the trade exhibit are fresh fruits and vegetables, processed fruits and products, tuna, rice, and even herbal tonic mangosteen.

The three-day activity is a collaborative effort by the DA regional offices 7 and 12 and the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program funded by the USAID.

Last year, Cebu also hosted the 1st Vis-Min Fruits and Vegetable Market Encounter, but this year, it will be the first time that the activity will showcase agri-products from Mindanao.

Lucero said last year’s activity was able to create new market linkages between buyers and farmers and producers in the entire Visayas and Mindanao.

“Farmers, producers and traders were able to earn around P70 million a month after the 1st Vis-Min agri-business event in Cebu and we want to do the same for the farmers and producers this year,” claimed Lucero. (PIA-Cebu)