THE 2nd International Coconut Conference and Trade Expo (ICCTE), which would be on November 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center, is targeted to be a venue for foreign buyers and local supermarket operators to connect with local coconut farmers.
A business-to-business meeting between the local and international buyers and the local suppliers of raw materials will be moderated by the Department of Trade and Industry–Export Marketing Bureau.
“We are not only limiting to the international buyers. We are also looking into the possibility of bringing in supermarket operators so that they will also look into the possibility of helping the local farmers and processors whose products cannot go into export but can also be made available in our local supermarkets,” said Davao Region Coconut Industry Cluster, Inc. executive director Migdonio Clamor, Jr., during a press coference at Habi at Kape, Abreeza Ayala Mall on Wednesday, October 11.
Aside from that, a farmers-to-business meeting will also be one of ICCTE’s highlight since some of the coconut farmers do not exactly know what to do to develop their farms and instead enter into agreements with contractors who does the massive development of the farms.
“There will be discussions on how they can still be productive aside from planting coconut, meaning to say, there will be discussion about intercropping, pest management, fertilization and even into small-scale or village type production level or raw materials processing,” Clamor said.
Experts on the coconut industry as well as in climate change were also invited to speak about its effect in the sector and introducing a climate-smart agriculture.
About 40 organizations, private sectors, and government agencies are expected to attend ICCTE. This includes Philippine Center for Postharvest Development & Mechanization, Coco Natura, Lao Integrated Farms, Inc., Healthy Sweets, Cocolife Cooperative, First Coconut Manufacturing Incorporated, and the San Isidro Coconut Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative among others.