Ready market for passion fruit growers
by Prix D Banzon
Davao City (30 July) -- The passion fruit, being propagated in Davao City by small farm growers, has a ready market who are among the country's major fruit juice maker.
Atty. Antonio Partoza, president of the Mindanao Fruit Industry Development Council (Minfruit) said there are eight growers in the city who are already into growing the fruit.
Partoza said they produce ten tons weekly which they supply to the fruit juice maker.
"The juice processor need passion fruit as their base material for their juices that is why there is a demand in the market," he said.
Partoza bared that during the 1st Minfruit Market Encounter slated on July 31 to August 1, 2008, three major processors namely Agri Nutrute, Inc., Pro-Foods, and Lingkage Foods will participate in the market encounter.
He said these are agri processors that require big volume of raw materials like the passion fruit although they also need other kinds of fruits which they used in processing their products.
The market encounter, he said is the ideal step that the Council shall make so that farm growers can be matched with their market.
During the market encounter Partoza said other activities would include promotion of improved production and post-harvest technologies including Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and off production for mangoes through farmer based training.
The market encounter will also showcase new technologies and present resolutions that address industry issues and initiating market promotion activities in Visayas and Luzon through the Mindanao Fruit Festival. (PIA) [top]
