#MINDANAO
There is a lot of discussion about agribusiness, particularly the supposed lack of competitiveness and how many of our neighbors have been able to build competitive agribusiness sectors. The concern is how some sectors of our local population cannot afford many of our own local agriproducts.
Speaking to this year’s chairperson of the Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE), the innovative Agripreneur Cherrylin Casuga of the award-winning Casuga Farm school, comes at a time when the national conversation on making our agri sectors more competitive is livelier. According to her, DATE will feature exhibitors and discussions focusing on solutions and innovations to make our agribusiness sector competitive.
Organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the last 24 years, DATE is the largest agribusiness event in southern Philippines which in pre-pandemic times would attract between 6,000 to 10,000 visitors and industry players from all over the country. New agribusiness potentials are always discovered here and shared throughout the country. You may log on to https://www.facebook.com/DavaoAgriTradeExpo for details.
Davao is the epicenter of innovative agribusiness in the country, being our agriexport hub for bananas and pineapples and emerging export crops like avocado and durian. It is also our country’s largest producer of coconuts and cacao. This is because it lies in the worlds optimal latitudes for producing such commodities. It is a production pillar in Mindanao, which alone produces 40 percent of our country’s food requirements.
We need to find more ways to help the estimated 9.75 million famers (PSA, 2021) produce food for our 100+ million population by making production and products more affordable especially for the poor. The Social Weather stations annual hunger survey indicates that even as we hit the lowest ever rate in 2019 (9.3 percent pre-pandemic, lower than previous admins), this still accounts to at least 10 million hungry Pinoys. (www.sws.org.ph/swsmain/artcldisppage/?artcsyscode=ART-20220606102327) Key here is affordability to sustain demand.
That said, what needs to be done to boost competitiveness? Here are some recommendations:
Lower the cost of logistics. With farm to market roads built from 2016, there is a need to create opportunities for other logistics players so that our producers can ship their products at lower cost, savings which will lower food prices. This is all the more vital now that fuel prices are at all-time high. Recent MARINA directives to lower shipping costs for food should be reviewed.
More diversified processing of produce. This is where investment promotion at the local level will be crucial. Mindanao has downstream producers in the coconut industry, making coconut milk, water, powder, activated carbon. This creates more buyers for farmers.
More food storage facilities. This will allow our producers to store food and sell when demand is high, thereby keeping prices stable for other producers and consumers. Recent programs of the Department of Agriculture to build more cold storage sites are game changers for our producers, enabling them to produce more to store them for sale at future dates, rather than be forced to throw away unsold excess produce.
LGU support is needed. It must be remembered that agriculture is a devolved function under the 1991 Local government code, such that local governments can take their cue from Davao City which has promoted local food production and consolidation.
Common sense dictates that a more competitive agribusiness sector lowers costs to make our produce more affordable to meet high local demand, and improve quality so that our producers can find diverse markets. This fortifies the value chain and creates opportunities for countryside employment and growth.
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