Friday, December 29, 2006 Banana seedlings for Mati farmers By Joy Romares-Sevilla
OVER 1,000 seedlings of cardava banana have been distributed to farmers and at least 510 hectares of land have been planted with cardava in Davao Oriental.
The distribution of seedlings is just among the projects being undertaken by the local government of Mati for the development of the One-Town One-Product (Otop), which is banana.
In a report submitted by the local government unit (LGU) of Mati to the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), it said that numerous training programs were conducted.
One of these is the banana production and management training which is supported by the Farmers Field School that has been institutionalized all over the 26 barangays in Mati.
The management training includes skills trainings on pest and disease control of banana.
Trainings on banana chips making and flavored banana chips making were also conducted.
The province now has already introduced three new flavors of banana chips in the market -- cheese, barbeque, and sesame seeds.
Product promotions are also one of the major activities undertaken by the LGU of Mati.
The participation of banana chips processors and farmers to fairs and exhibits have been instrumental in establishing markets and buyers for the product.
The Pasalubong Center in Mati where the products were displayed has also a big help in marketing. The center has become one of the regular destinations of tourists and guests coming to the province.
On the other hand, product development or the product packaging and labeling activities were also undertaken for the development of the banana chips products.
The improvement of product labeling and packaging in at least five cooperatives in the province was through the access for funding from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
With the assistance, the products have been promoted actively in the markets through different fairs and exhibits.
