Fruits from Mindanao is set to be on sale along the famous Session Road in Baguio City. Manny Piñol, head of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), reported the whole story behind the Fruit Festival in his Facebook post.
A truck loaded with 5 metric tons of Durian took off yesterday from Kidapawan City for the 3-day trip to the North while another 15-tons of tropical fruits from the different parts of Mindanao will be flown from Davao City to Clark Airport Aug. 23 for the first-ever Fruit Festival initiated by the MinDA.
MinDA has partnered with the City Government of Baguio under its new Mayor, retired Police General Benjamin Magalong for the staging of the fruit festival in Baguio City which aimed at helping Mindanao fruit farmers get a better income for their produce while giving Northern Luzon consumers the opportunity to buy their favorite tropical fruits at lower prices.
The Philippine Air Force, through Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, has provided a C-130 Cargo plane for the launching of the program.
Succeeding shipments will.be done by hauling trucks and commercial flights from Davao to Clark.
Following the arrangement which I suggested, the fruits from Mindanao will be consolidated by the farmers themselves while Baguio City fruit vendors organized by Mayor Magalong will handle the sales.
The strategy is intended to establish a direct link between the fruit farmers of Mindanao and the fruit vendors of Baguio City to keep fruit prices down.
It is now the fruit season in Mindanao and farmers have been flooding the market with Durian, Lanzones, Marang, Mangosteen, Rambutan and Pomelo bringing prices down.
To allow farmers to earn more, MinDA has initiated the marketing program for Mindanao fruits.
MinDA will also embark on an aggressive promotions and marketing campaign for Mindanao products in the BIMP-EAGA and other countries.
Yesterday, the Philippine Air Force fielded two cargo planes – C-130 and C-295 – to transport 15 metric tons of assorted fruits from Mindanao to Baguio City.
The PAF transport planes, loaded with perishable fruits like Marang, Rambutan, Lanzones and Mangosteen, took from the Davao Airport today and landed in Clark.
From there, two refrigerated vans will bring the fruits to Baguio tonight.
Two small cargo trucks are on their way to Baguio City after a two-day land trip from Mindanao loaded with 7 metric tons of Durian.
The fruit festival in Baguio City also aimed to allow Baguio City and Northern Luzon consumers to buy fresh fruits at lower prices.
Reported by: Manny Piñol
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