Seize opportunities in Asean market
THE Vegetable Industry Council of Southern Mindanao (Vicsmin) urged vegetable farmers in Davao Region to engage in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to seize opportunities in the Asean market.
Rogelio Gualberto, adviser and former director of Vicsmin told reporters Wednesday, August 9, at the sidelines of the second National Vegetable Marketing Summit at the Apo View Hotel in Davao City that at present only minimal number of vegetable farmers are practicing GAP.
“This is more of informing and educating our vegetable farmers. Basically, the purpose of the summit is to inform the farmers that we are now in a free trade and to be competitive we have to change the method of farming with GAP,” he said.
GAP as defined, are “practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products.”
He added that if this challenge will be left unaddressed, Philippine farmers cannot enter the competitive market of Asean.
Gualberto underscored that Compliance to GAP and/ or Organic Agricultural practices is a must for each farmer to achieve our dream of “Embarking a Journey to Asean Markets.”
“We hope to inspire our vegetable farmer to engage and faithfully employ appropriate farming norms most acceptable in these countries,” he said in a speech during the two-day summit.
Modern agricultural technologies, he said, are readily available for adaptation which will ultimately define the competitive advantages of our vegetable farmers.
“The magnanimous assistance of our Department of Agriculture in alleviating farmer’s living status should signal acceptance and cooperation. We envisioned that our farmers should do away with the traditional methods for “quick return of investments” without the consideration of the environment, health of farmers and consuming public,” Gualberto said.
When asked on how many vegetable farmers are practicing GAP, Gualberto was quick to respond that for Davao Region only a “negligible” number of farmers are Gap compliant farmers.
He said that farmers have no reason not be compliant as getting a GAP certification is not for free with the Bureau of Agri-Fisheries Standards (Bafs).
He said that their Demo Farm in Carmen is a GAP oriented farm.
He also said that Vicsmin in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) are conducting series of trainings and seminar on GAP with farmers in Davao.
“For this year, we are able to train some 500 vegetable farmers in the region,” he said.
During the summit, DA undersecretary, Evelyn Laviña was present. She presented before the summit participants the overview of the National Vegetable Industry.