MANUFACTURING and agriculture industries should come in tandem for a better economic development in Mindanao, a Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) trustee said.
During the weekly presscon at Habi at Kape, Abreeza Ayala Malls held last Wednesday, June 14, DCCCII trustee Arturo Milan said they are currently promoting the plantation type of agribusiness especially for the upcoming Davao Investment Conference (Icon) on July 21 to 22.
In order to elevate the performances of the agriculture industry in Mindanao, Milan said processing of the raw materials produced should also be here for value-adding, and not just the plantations.
“Nestle Philippines does not put a processing plant in Mindanao because we still lack the hectarage of coffee. They have a coffee processing plant in Cabuyao, Laguna but most of the raw materials are coming from Mindanao. We have dispersed production of coffee. Once we have that enough number of hectarage that is needed that will make a processing plant viable to operate, definitely they will set up a processing plant. It’s expensive to shift raw materials from Mindanao to Laguna and then process there, rather than set up the base here then ship out finished products already,” Milan said.
He added the potential that Mindanao already has given the already existing plantations in various areas but he said agriculture should be tied up with manufacturing.
“If we want to attract manufacturing, it has to have an agri-base. Agriculture and manufacturing goes in tandem. That’s why we are promoting the plantation type of agribusiness like rubber and palm oil so that we can invite processors and manufacturers. Who knows we might have our own tire manufacturing in Davao City once we have enough materials for this,” Milan said.