The expansion of Mindanao’s fruit industry can aim the region’s development and help establish peace in the southern Philippine province.
Speaking at the recent 13th National Mango Congress in Sarangani, Ross Wherry of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) said the growth of Mindanao’s fruit sector, particularly mangoes, is starting to boost the province’s economy, reported the Mindanao Examiner.
Mr Wherry, head of USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) programme, added demand for fresh fruits was growing, and the Philippines needed to position itself strongly to tap into that.
“We are proud to see Mindanao taking centre stage in this year’s Mango Congress, because Mindanao is emerging as a supplier of high quality fresh and processed mangoes into many parts of the world,” he said.
“Over the years, Mindanao has made much progress in developing its agricultural and processing sectors, while forming strong producer associations. Over time, they developed into dynamic associations with national networks and set their sights on the export market,” he said.
As part of the GEM programme, USAID is helping fruit the industry expand into export markets like Japan, China, South Korea, the Middle East, the US and Europe, as well as giving technical aid to growers.
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