Stakeholders organize Southern Philippines Vegetable Council

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Oct. 5 (PNA)-- Leaders of various vegetable growers' associations in southern Philippines have created a Mindanao-wide council to serve as an advocacy and networking umbrella group for the local vegetable sector.

The council was organized during the recently-held 1st Mindanao Veggie Expo in Cagayan de Oro City organized by the Northern Mindanao Vegetable Industry Council (NorMin Veggies), USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, Department of Agriculture (DA)and the provincial government of Misamis Oriental.

The new organization known as the Southern Philippines Vegetable Council will initially focus on updating the Mindanao Vegetable Roadmap, which provides strategic directions for the industry.

It will also help organize upcoming major events that include the Mindanao Vegetable Congress scheduled to be held in Koronadal City this October and the National Vegetable Congress in General Santos City in the first quarter of 2009.

Mar Remotigue of Cagayan de Oro-based NorMin Veggies was elected interim president of the new umbrella organization.

Jovic Santos of the Central Mindanao Vegetable Council is interim vice president.

The new Council will work on strengthening the various provincial and sub-regional vegetable producer associations, according to Remotigue.

"Its creation is timely in the light of current industry concerns,such as the rising costs of production inputs and shipping," Remotique added.

NorMin Veggies coordinator Leo Eduria said the Council will enable members of the Mindanao vegetable industry to speak with one voice.

The Expo was attended by vegetable farmers, traders, service and agricultural inputs providers from across the region, as well as representatives of local government units and national government line agencies.

Another Expo highlight was the signing of a memorandum of agreement whereby the Phil Am Foundation will assist NorMin Veggies' planned expansion of its vegetable consolidation and marketing activities for small-hold growers.

The association linked up with PhilAm Foundation through the GEM Program, which in partnership with NorMin Veggies and the DA, has helped introduce best production practices among the association's farmer-members and other Mindanao growers to enhance their competitiveness.

PhilAm foundation executive director Max Ventura said the new project with PhilAm is designed to help improve the existing vegetable trading system in the region and benefit small-holder growers.

"Should this pilot initiative prove successful, it will be replicated by the foundation in other parts of Mindanao, to help strengthen economic development and peace-building in the region," Ventura said.