AROUND 70 exhibitors participated during the Mindanao Agriculture and Livestock Expo which opened Thursday, March 23, at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier.
“The purpose of this expo is connectivity. We are going to look for market for our volume of production. This expo will connect buyers to producers and eventually for the farmers to have a better income. Farmers will be tied up with big companies that are in need of certain supplies,”
Department of Agriculture Davao Regional Director Ricardo Oñate said
The expo is in line with the government's thrust to produce enough and affordable food for every Filipino.
He also mentioned the expo’s initiative to collaborate science with agriculture in order to develop the production in terms of productivity and competitiveness.
Various seminars will be conducted simultaneously with the exhibit. A business matching and focus group discussion will be done during the seminars.
Oñate said vegetable growers from Marilog will also participate in the expo.
He added that he hopes that after the expo, the agriculture sector in the region will become more competitive. “With the Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) integration, we have to equip our farmers to be competitive. At the same time, they also have to be ready with the climate change situation. We have to ensure our sustainability,” he said.