In a bid to make the Mindanao fruit sector more competitive, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol revealed plans to come up with a single database for all of the island-region’s fruit farmers and associations.
The database will contain information on fruit farm locations, available supplies, and assistance needed by the industry.
“I would like every fruit farmer here to be a part of the database. That way, we can easily link you up to the available markets, identify areas that are still harvesting fruits, and assist you where needed,” Piñol said during today’s gathering of the Mindanao fruit farmers at the MinDA office.
During the same meet, Piñol also urged the farmers to consolidate their products in order to be more competitive in the national and international markets.
“We can better tap huge markets if only we can organize ourselves,” Piñol added, while also proposing the idea for every fruit product to have a focal leader for easier coordination and linking up with potential markets and investors.
The meet followed the success of the First MinDA Fruits Festival in Baguio, which generated more than PHP1 million worth of sales during the weekend selling of more than 20 tons of such Mindanao fruits as durian, lanzones, mangosteen and marang.
Forming part of MinDA’s efforts to sustain the initiative, and expand it to other key cities in the country including Cebu, Piñol has also met with officials from commercial airlines including Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Air Asia, to explore the possibility of reducing freight fees for the fruits and to further improve the marketability of Mindanao’s products.
“You have to understand that marketability is the best incentive for productivity, and that’s what we will pursue to achieve here in MinDA,” Piñol said.
(Text and photos by the MinDA Information Office.)
More Stories
Trump Presidency Boon To Philippine Agriculture
Mindanao Fruit Fest Scheduled Sept. 2025
DA, MinDA, LGU! MinDA Targets Tribal Areas For Highland Rice Farming