| 7th Mindanao Vegetable Congress |
|
Valeriano Palco (right), president of Caraga High-Value Vegetable Cluster, Inc. (CHiVeCCI), presents a plaque to Jovic Santos (center), president of the Central Mindanao Vegetable Industry Development Council (CEMVIDEC), in appreciation for the overview of the region’s rapidly-expanding vegetable industry presented by Santos at the 7th Mindanao Vegetable Congress in Butuan City. With them is Constancio Maghanoy, OIC regional director of the Department of Agriculture (DA). The two-day event was organized by CHiVeCCI, an association of 200 grower-members, in partnership with the city government of Butuan, provincial governments of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, DA, Southern Philippines Vegetable Council, and USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, which works with grower associations to help make Mindanao a major producer and marketer of high-value horticulture crops. The congress featured improvements in post-harvest handling techniques, market prospects for Mindanao-grown vegetables in Visayas and Luzon, and grower-led produce consolidation and marketing strategies. The GEM Program is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority. Published in www.mindanao.com, September 15, 2010 |
