Every employment opportunity in this time of Covid-19 pandemic is golden.
Local banana chips producer Southern Harvest Inc. (SHI), which has recently established a facility at the Anflo Industrial Estate (AIEC) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, is looking to hire 130 employees.
That definitely is golden opportunity for Dabawenyos looking for employment.
Ricardo “Cary” Lagdameo, first vice president of Damosa Land Inc. (DLI), said SHI is looking at employing mostly factory workers from production to peeling to packing jobs. Recruitment of more workers will be posted soon.
The latest addition to AIE’s growing roster of locators, SHI will be producing banana chips and packaging materials, which will be exported from the Davao International Container Terminal (DICT).
The company is owned by Davao-based businessman Jam Abella and family. Its factory is expected to start operating on Monday, July 27, 2020, processing Southern Harvest banana chips for export to Australia, Russia, and China.
The company will start its operations with a daily production of 10 tons, which will gradually rise to 75 tons daily once they are fully operational.
Lagdameo said that the opening of SHI will have a direct positive effect on the supply chain.
“Southern Harvest uses cardava bananas. We also have another locator, First Panabo Tropical Foods, which also uses cardava. This will entice more farmers to grow cardava since there are end users who will process it then export it. Cardava is a good alternative to cavendish especially for small growers,” he said.
According to the Philippine Exporters Confederation in Region 11 (PHILEXPORT DAVAO), the cardava banana variety has huge export potential. Apart from being used for Filipino staple snack banana cue, cardava variety is also used as processed banana chips, which is in demand not only in the domestic but also in the export market. Currently, cardava variety’s biggest markets are China, Vietnam, US, Germany and various Asian countries.
Presently, AIE has 15 locators from Japan, China, the Netherlands, USA and the Philippines at its 64-hectare land that include Del Monte Fresh Produce Philippines, First Panabo Tropical Foods Corp., Phildutch Polymer Inc., Davao Packaging Corporation, Davao Zhenzhi Plastics Corp., CAMECO Realty Development, PMR Pallet Ltd. Co., Fermon Corp., Southern Harvest, Lane Holdings Inc., and Packwell Inc.
Three locators are also expected to start operation in the next two to three months such as Connovate Philippines, PMR Pallet Ltd. Co., and FoamPack, Inc.
“Three more by next month and by December this year, our first Japanese locator will be finishing their facility,” Lagdameo said.
Lagdameo added that AIE has about 30 hectares of land still available and about 10,000 square meters more of ready built facilities available for lease.
AIE is a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) registered facility.
