The regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA 11) is revitalizing the floriculture industry in the Davao Region.
Floriculture is the study and cultivation of flowering plants for their ornamental value. It includes the production of cut flowers, potted plants, bedding plants, and flowering trees and shrubs.
Winona Jane Aquino, DA 11 Regional Floricultre Focal, said on Friday that for this year the DA 11 will continue sponsoring and funding activities and programs for the floriculture industry such as a summit to be held in August this year in time for the Kadayawan sa Davao Festival.
Aquino said the summit is an offshoot of the Mindanao International Floriculture Congress held last year.
“Since last year, naka provide ug funds ang DA 11 like sponsoring funding for the holding of the Mindanao International Floriculture Congress and ang offshoot ato result sa congress is pagahimoon this year for the Kadayawan. So ang DA 11 magprovide gihapon ug assistance para mapalambo pa nato ang atoang floriculture industry diri sa Davao Region,” Aquino said during the Agribiz Media Forum at SM Lanang Premier.
Aquino underscored that floriculture, specifically the ornamental, is one of the priority and emerging crops under the high-value crops.
She said the Davao Region is ranked third in ornamental growing at the national level based on the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Meanwhile, Evelyn Laviña, President of the Floriculture Industry of Davao Incorporated (FIDI), said for this year’s summit, they will be partnering with the city government of Davao, the City Tourism Operations Office, the City Agriculturist Office, and the DA-Davao.
“We were supposed to be in one big area as we were doing the past years and we showcased how our plants should be used in the landscaping,” she said.
Laviña added that for Kadayawan sa Davao, they already prepared a lot of activities and they are reviving the landscape competition and exhibition showcasing the Davao orchids like the Waling-waling and the Vanilla.
