EXIHIBITORS generated total sales of P5.57 million during the 11th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival (NIOFF) held at the Negros First Cyber Centre grounds in Bacolod City.
Themed "Getting Connected Through Regenerative Organic Agriculture," the five-day event ended Saturday.
It was participated by 315 exhibitors coming from different towns and cities in the region.
Capitol reports showed that actual sales generated from fresh herbs, organic vegetables, local delicacies, grains, fruits, fresh milk, juices, eggs, plants, animals, indigenous materials, processed food, and farm inputs reached almost P3.06 million.
It was 26.8 percent lower than last year’s sales of P4.2 million.
However, the total sales were still pushed upward through booked orders of equipment like tractors, rice reapers, cultivators from Supertrade, and some healthy products from Izumio amounting to about P2.51 million, it added.
On a daily basis, exhibitors earned a total of P662,867.50 on the first day, while P550,598 for the second day.
The biggest sales were registered on the third day, P2.93 million, mainly due to income from various farm inputs.
The fourth day sales hit P525,650.35, and on the last day, P900,735.55.
“The Provincial Government received positive comments from several buyers for transferring the venue to the Cyber Centre as it was spacious and safe for buyers,” a press release from the Capitol said.
Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. thanked the local organic producers and exhibitors for participating in the festival.
Marañon also advised organizers to conduct massive and aggressive promotion to attract more people to patronize locally-grown organic products.
Meanwhile, during the closing ceremony, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist awarded the Negros Nine from Kabankalan City as the best booth, and Leny's Dried Fish as the highest sales generating booth.
They each received P5,000 in cash.
Provincial Senior Agriculturist Dina Genzola said they plan to gather more local exhibitors as the annual activity is positioned to become bigger every year.
"We will continue to assist especially our small organic farmers and producers particularly in increasing their production and further improving the product quality," she added.