Agribusiness hi-way eyed to enhance fruit industry

Mindanao is the country’s main source of safe and quality fruits both for international and local markets.
Data from the Department of Agriculture (DA) reveal that the island-region is the source of almost 88% of the country’s pineapples, 81% of bananas, 22% of all our mangoes, and virtually all of the country’s durian and durian products.  
Despite taking the lead in the country’s fruit production, growers here lament various constraints that hinder growth and sustainability of the local industry.  Foremost, is the high production and transport cost.
With this, DA Secretary Arthur Yap said his department will be carrying out a 12 point program that includes full integration of the national agribusiness highway or “food lanes” that stretches between Luzon and Mindanao .
Yap in his message delivered by agribusiness director Francisco Ramos III during the recent 2nd Mindanao Fruit Industry Market Encounter in Cagayan de Ore City said the DA will look into the construction of infrastructure facilities such as RORO (Roll-On, Roll-Off) ports for strategically located farm areas across the country.
He said the DA through its High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) program is providing more postharvest facilities such as trading posts, and common service facilities such as packinghouses to help improve quality and marketability of Mindanao fruits.
“Our program for the fruit industry also aims to give assistance to exporters to reduce costs of shipping goods to markets overseas, including support in the conduct of pesticide residue analysis,” Yap said adding: “We will also ensure the delivery of timely market information, and provision of linkages that farmers need to make fruit farming profitable, productive, and globally competitive.”
Yap said there is also a need for continuous enhancement of national regulatory services, including the DA’s certification systems, pest-risk analysis and food safety services. Constant effort to develop and promote better fruit farming technologies throughout the island-region is also undertaken to enhance the DA’s research, development and extension services.
“Our farmers should be also trained on value-adding activities such as off-season planting and processing including Good Agricultural Practices to ensure safety and attain commercial viability of their products,” he said. 
“All these efforts and investments are designed to increase rural incomes and reduce the cost of doing business,” Yap said.
“However, the DA can’t realize these imperatives alone,” he said. “We recognize that a vital element in agricultural development is the need for greater private investments and the participation of local leaders,” he added.
Yap pointed out, though, that the DA is confident that once the government has managed to establish a solid and strong foundation for Philippine agriculture, “that a robust, globally competitive and sustainable fruit industry is going to be one of the biggest legacies” of the Arroyo administration.