Central Mindanao to supply meat in Metro Manila

 

 

The Central Mindanao Vegetable Industry Development Council (CEMVIDEC) Inc in the Philippines will supply pork, beef and assorted vegetables to Metro Manila through the government's Roll On-Roll Off (Ro-Ro) transportation programme.

 

The shipment was made after Luzon region was badly hit by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng causing billions' worth of losses.

 

The Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 12 executive director Tommy A. Ala said through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), the DA also provided technical assistance to CEMVIDEC in expanding the out shipment of high-value vegetables from Mindanao to key markets in Metro Manila.

 

This assistance included market promotion support, conduct of training on improved production technology and post-harvest handling, technical advice in enhancing its commodity clustering approach.

 

A total of 43,096 kilograms were shipped from October 14 to November 10 this year from the ports of General Santos City and Davao City to different markets in Manila such as Oriental Market in Balintawak, Commonwealth Market and Alabang South Station.

 

AMAD also helped in expanding and improving its vegetable trading and marketing activities, and to allow growers to establish direct linkages to buyers.

 

Moreover, the "Pork in a Box" and beef deliveries to Metro Manila is being shipped the whole year round with a stable delivery supply to Lisa's Tender and Lean Meats and Monterey Foods Corporation.

 

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has said the RoRo programme promotes supply chain integration by allowing consumers direct access to agricultural producers while providing farmers with a ready market for their produce.

 

The Ro-Ro programme aims to help increase income of farmers by cutting through existing marketing layers which they formerly depended upon to source buyers for their produce, he said.

 

The agriculture chief added that such strategy will also provide consumers with more food choices since agricultural goods from various areas can be transported to and sold in Manila aside from other locations.