CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — In the interest of supporting the increasing production of high value crops in the region, the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10) continues to strengthen its market linkages with the private sector.
On April 18, at the agency compound, renowned hospitality and leisure company Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc. (Travellers International) with major fruits and vegetable distributor AgriGlobal Ventures Food, Inc. (AgriGlobal) paid a courtesy visit to DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado to discuss the former’s interest to source vegetables and other agricultural produce from Bukidnon.
The company’s Director for Internal Audit and Systems and Methods, Carlito B. Banaag, said that they are seeking to source large volumes of produce from known producers in Bukidnon, through AgriGlobal and with the support of DA.
Such produce includes vegetables, spices, fruits, and seasonal commodities required for the company’s dining offerings in its hotel and resort establishments across the country.
Both companies are set to visit accredited farms and agricultural producers in Imbayao, Malaybalay City and Lantapan, Bukidnon later this week.
In addition, the DA has arranged with AgriGlobal a tour of its collaborative greenhouse project at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC) in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
It can be recalled that the DA has inked its partnership with the major distributor through a Memorandum of Agreement on June 20, 2022, to market fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural produce by the Lantapan Vegetable Farmers Marketing Cooperative (LVMFC).
According to RED Collado, the said collaboration with the private sector makes for an exciting opportunity to support local farmers in Bukidnon, of which a sizable portion of the region’s agricultural produce is sourced.
Further, the agri chief executive said that the DA continues to support the same through the provision of agricultural inputs (seeds and planting materials), equipment, and machinery through its banner programs.
Enthused by the potential partnership, RED Collado has committed the support of the agency, through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), for the said undertaking.
Also in attendance were DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Cora A. Dumayaca, AMAD Assistant Division chief Ferdinand F. Caraballe; Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc., Procurement Officer and Project-in-Charge John Lawrence De Silva who leads the company’s accreditation team; AgriGlobal Ventures Food, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Gerard Mejorada, and Business Development Officer Joel T. Rivera, who also serves as the Business Manager of the Philippine International Travel Assistance Center – Multipurpose Cooperative (PITAC-MPC).
