DAVAO CITY, 13 November — Fruit producers in Mindanao are calling for more financial and technological support not only to ensure sufficient supply in the country but also to improve their export performance.
Antonio Partoza Jr. chairman of Mindanao Fruit Industry Conference, said that while fruits are already available nationwide and the surplus exported, farmers need support for their products to flourish and reach a "competitive level."
"The future of the fruit industry in Mindanao is bright but farmers need continuing assistance," Partoza told a press conference in the southern city of Davao.
Agnes Luz, senior agri-business development specialist of Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) said fruits such as banana, pomelo and durian coming from Davao and Mindanao could be found displayed as far north as Baguio and the Ilocos region.
Luz said the market for Mindanao fruits also continue to expand.
A Manila food processor, for instance, is looking for a fruit to be processed during August to December when mango is lean while kalamansi is at its peak production in Mindanao.
Luz noted that some processors only know that kalamansi are being largely produced in Mindoro, not knowing the fruit is abundant and cheaper in Mindanao.
"So we go back to the farmers and tell them to produce this quality of kalamansi that the market needs," she said.
Migrants or visitors from Luzon are shocked by the fresh and inexpensive prices of fruits when they go to Mindanao.
Partoza said one of Mindanao’s secret is that "two-thirds of the island is typhoon free." Mindanao also produces cabbage, potato, celery and other crops, all of which are known to be only produced in Baguio, Nueva Ecija and Tanay in Rizal province.
During typhoon when farms in the north are usually destroyed, prices of fruits and vegetables skyrocket, and that’s when Mindanao again comes to the rescue.
