70 exhibitors join agri expo
AROUND 70 exhibitors from different industries in the agricultural sector participated in the Mindanao Agriculture and Livestock Expo which opened yesterday, Thursday March 23 at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier and will last until Saturday, March 25.
In his welcome remarks during the opening ceremony of the expo, Agriculture Davao Regional Director Ricardo Oñate said the expo is in line with the objective of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol to produce enough and affordable food for every Filipino.
He also mentioned the expo’s initiative to collaborate science with agriculture in order to development the production in terms of productivity and competitiveness.
“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,” said Oñate adding that various seminars will be conducted simultaneously with the exhibit. In these seminars, the business-tobusiness matching and focus group discussion will be done among the participants.
Oñate said smallscale farmers are also participating in the expo like the vegetable growers from Marilog.
Asked how he sees the future of agriculture in the region after the expo, Oñate said he hopes it becomes 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. JPA