About forty two (42) DTI–assisted entrepreneurs from Region 2 joined more than one hundred (100) retail exhibitors in the Agrilink 2016 on 6-8 October at World Trade Center, Manila.
Region 2 MSMEs generated total sales of Php 197,486.00, a 167% increase from last year’s Php 73,993.00 sales.
Agrilink, now on its 23rd year, has established itself as the biggest internationally recognized and most participated agribusiness exhibition in the Philippines organized by the Foundation for Resource Linkage & Development, Inc.
This year’s theme, “Negros Island: A Model of Agribusiness Resiliency,” highlights the sturdiness and the strength of the agricultural industries of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental through an improved and integrated focus on the chain of agribusiness activities.
The three (3) day retail taking activity showcased a wide array of food products, fresh fruits and vegetables, fishery products, dairy products, feeds, fertilizers and pest management, animal health and nutrition, and many more.
President Rodrigo Duterte, in his message delivered by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary for Agribusiness and High Value Crops Ms. Evelyn Laviña during the opening ceremony, emphasized that the Agri-sector plays a major role in realizing economic goals.
The President also instructed DA Secretary Mr. Emmanuel Piñol on the production and trade of two commodities – staple food and high value crops to generate more jobs and foreign earnings; to intensify research to improve the technology; use of high yielding varieties; effective soil management, and acquisition of modern post-harvest facilities.
Lastly, he highlighted that the key words for high value crops are processing, value adding, and global marketing.