Buyer, supplier matching in agriculture fair today

COFFEE, peanut, rice/ corn, rubber, and abaca are the five agricultural commodities that will be highlighted during the Department of Agrarian Reform Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development (DAR-MinSAAD) Usapang Kalakan today, March 13 at the Apo View Hotel.

Around 60 farmers in Mindanao who are beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program of DAR will participate during the Usapang Kalakan. These farmers are coming from 20 different organized agriculture cooperatives.

Different buyers all over the country with specified supply needs of the five agricultural commodities are expected to come over and transact with the farmers. According to DAR MinSAAD Marketing Officer Theoffany Joy D. Cabanda, the event was organized so that the buyers will be able to present the type of quality they are looking for in the products of their suppliers. Through this as well, the buyers and the farmers will be able to meet half way.

“The buyers can present the quality [they are looking for] to the farmers. At the same time, they can help the farmers with the production, how they can be able to come up with better quality products. The business matching will be a winwin situation for the both of them,” said Cabanda.

Two groups who are specifically interested in coffee supplies will be coming to the event. These are the Green Tropics Coffee Enterprise from South Cotabato and Balutakay Coffee Farmers Association, a women enterprise from Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

The famous pasalubong enterprise Cheding’s Peanuts from Iligan City and Peanut Kisses from Bohol had also expressed interest in meeting the peanut farmer beneficiaries of the DAR-MinSAAD. According to Cabanda both these peanut pasalubong companies import about 90 percent of their peanut supplies and are currently looking for highquality peanut suppliers. Another enterprise from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, the Organica Peanut Butter will also be one of the buyers coming to the business matching.

In Brgy. Ned, Lake Sebu in particular, there are a total of 23,000 hectares of land planted with peanuts by the T’bolis.

“With this encounter [of the farmers] with the buyers, we are hoping the farmers will be happier and more will plant peanuts,” said MinSAAD Agriculture, Agribusiness, and Agroforestry (AAD) Component Manager Alvin Obrique.

As for the rice/corn commodities, the Biotech Farms, the producer and supplier of KCC Koronadal and General Santos Supermarket’s produce, had also expressed intent to attend the business matching. The Department of Agriculture (DA)

Davao Region will also be invited to promote Bigas-Mais Blend which was first launched December of last year at Sasa Wharf.

“The rice and white corn combo is a healthier choice for the rice-eating Filipinos as corn contains higher amylose content which makes it harder to gelatinize and slower to digest…Bigas-Mais is just one of our strategies to quash our dependence on imported rice every time a shortfall in supply surfaces,” Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said during the launching.

Various abaca buyers and processors such as Ching Bee Trading Corporation in Davao City, United Maligang Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative of Kiamba, Sarangani Province, and Newtech Pulp of Lanao del Norte are all looking for good quality abaca supplies. These same companies are also expected to be at the business matching.

As for rubbers, Obrique said they are continually promoting the market as the price fluctuates together with coffees. The price of rubbers currently plays at around P22 to P26 per kilo. Rubber farmers will also be present as well during the business matching.

The MinSAAD’s Usapang Kalakalan is targeted to showcase MinSAAD updates, beneficiary information, infrastructure projects and market requirements on top of the business matching activities. JPA