FRUITS and vegetables from Davao Region will be available in the Bicol Region next month, the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA 11) said.
DA 11 Regional Director Ricardo Oñate told Sunstar Davao that the agency, through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), is working on a partnership with Liberty Commercial Center (LCC), one of the pioneer retailers in Albay province and in Bicol.
LCC operates supermarkets and department stores. It is also engaged in food operations, mall operations, and property development.
“Maraming branches ang LCC sa Bicol and they are interested in our fruits and vegetables. July is the initial plan for the first shipping but it is possible to have it earlier if both sides concede already [on the specific product and volume]. Anything goes for this, what is important is we secure a market linkage,” Oñate said in vernacular.
He said this partnership will benefit farmers as they will be offered better prices for their products.
LCC visited the farms around Davao Region Tuesday, June 11, 2019, to inspect the quality of agricultural products.
“This is our first time partnering with DA and farmers in Davao region. I believe that Davao will provide good quality produce as it is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of banana, papaya, mangosteen, and durian,” LCC chief operations officer Romeo Tan said.
LCC is looking for around six tons of agricultural products per shipment from Davao region. DA 11, on the other hand, assured production volume would be enough to meet their demand.
Oñate said that if demand goes up, the region has the capacity to produce more since the area and facilities are available and farmers in the region are competitive.
Meanwhile, he said that they are also working on other potential markets.
“This will benefit small farmers for direct buyers, no middlemen will be needed. We just have to consolidate the products in the Davao Food Terminal Complex (DFTC) before shipping it to the Bicol market,” he said.