THIS year's Negros Trade Fair, through the Negros First booth, will also feature the rich culinary industry of Negros Occidental.
Ynes Reyes, trade fair organizer, Sunday, September 24, told SunStar Bacolod that this new segment aims to further promote Negros Occidental as home to abundant ingredients and other raw produce.
She said the Negros First booth is the provincial government's initiative and participation in the trade fair's 32nd year.
"This is an added attraction to the annual event seen to boost Negros Occidental as one of the country's top culinary destinations," Reyes added.
Themed "Food for Thought," the five-day event will be held at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City starting Wednesday, September 27.
It will gather at least 80 members of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), who will offer innovative truly Negros products to thousands of visitors.
Reyes said the provincial government will display a wide variety of raw produce from Negros Occidental.
These include livestock and poultry meat products like chicken, duck, and lamb.
Other food products are dried fish and fresh seafood, including blue crabs.
Reyes said the booth will also offer "hot and ready-to-eat" cuisines along with processed and frozen food products.
During the Arima, or opening night on Tuesday, six guest chefs will use ingredients from the Negros First booth in cooking various dishes for the visitors.
The pool of chefs includes Joel Torre, JP Anglo, Tom Bascon, Don Colmenares, Nico Millanes, and Claudia Schulze, who all have Negrense roots.
"We want to also promote traceability among our products by highlighting the province's various food destinations aside from Bacolod City," Reyes said.
This segment aims to make visitor aware and explore other cities and towns which also have their respective best offerings, she added.
Aside from food, the trade fair will also showcase products from gifts, decor and homestyle, fashion and garments, furniture and furnishings, natural and organic, and tourism sectors.
ANP earlier said that with better and more innovative products they are optimistic to surpass last year's generated sales of P20 million.
Christina Gaston, president of ANP, said this year's trade fair will highlight Negros Occidental as the natural and organic food capital of the Philippines.