Samar generates P1.2-M in sales at Bahandi trade fair
By Ninfa B Quirante
Tacloban City (10 October) -- Samar generated some P1.2M in cash, booked and under negotiation sales during the Bahandi Trade Fair held at MegaMall, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila in September.
In a sales monitoring report obtained by PIA from Samar DTI, the data disclosed that some P664,512 was sales in cash, followed by P37,700 booked sales and some P617,200 under negotiations.
Further, the data showed that 14 exhibitors joined the trade fair and cash sales ranged from P8,572 by Carmela's Tahong crackers to the biggest sales of Basey handicraft amounting to P221,950, Following a slow second in cash sales is Delza's Native Product also of Basey, with P80,250 in cash sales.
First timers Samar Aqua Marine Products of the Rural Improvement Club of barangay Payao said that what they needed was exposure and experience for the succeeding trade fairs. Rita Zafra, a woman of Payao said that had they have enough capital, they could have sold as much as their other counterparts. The group admitted they lack capital to have the production in full swing.
Tarangnan, Samar OTOP Producers - Barangay Bahay Farmers and Fishermen's Cooperative (BAFFICO) had sold tahong longganisa, tahong embutido, tahong cookies and other tahong processed food items.
DTI Samar Director RuthThelma Samonte, said that the experience for the business entrepreneurs was rewarding. She cited the importance of booking institutional buyers because this is one time that they can get sales in volumes.
She added that while Basey lorded it over when it comes to cash sales, processed mussels she said is slowly gaining exposure and closely following the bigger cash sales of Basey and the other native product producers in the same town. Jiabong and Tarangnan town are prominently groomed to buoy mussel processed products. (PIA-Samar) [top]