The
Province of Guimaras will bring together the province’s producers, entrepreneurs
and buyers in the Agri Trade and Tourism Fair, which opens on May 11 at 10 in
the morning at the Provincial Capitol.
The
trade fair is one of the highlights of the 2016 Manggahan Festival that will
run from May 11 to 22.
Here,
buyers and tourists will be treated to a display of the province’s products such
as the famed Guimaras mangoes, aquaculture products, souvenir items,
cutflowers, organic vegetables and handicrafts which they can buy. Resorts will
also be featured, giving tourists a chance to inquire about accommodations,
activities and explore different tourism circuits.
The
fair will show that Guimaras has a lot to offer to local and international
visitors. Primarily as an agricultural province, Guimaras is abundant in
mangoes, palay, coconuts, cashew, calamansi, sweet potatoes, fish and seaweeds.
It boasts of thriving industries such as tourism, fruit processing, coconut
processing, fish farming, and handicrafts making, among others.
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
The Guimaras Mango. Home of the sweetest mangoes in the world, the province is dubbed
as the Mango Capital of the Philippines. It boasts of fresh mangoes, dried
mangoes, mango jam and other delicacies that are favorite pasalubong items. Guimaras
mangoes have been accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) – Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) and by Australian
Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS).
In
2015, the province produced 11,839.55 metric tons of mangoes, according to the
Province of Guimaras’ economic data.
Guimaras Cashew Nuts. Cashew nuts from Guimaras also has economic potential. Most often
paired with mangoes in restaurants’ recipes, cashew or “kasuy” has a high
demand in Manila and the international market. In 2005, investors from Lebanon
and Israel expressed interest in importing 2 to 5 tons of Guimaras’ cashew nuts
per month. Even China was interested, but its requirement of packed cashews
that could fill a 214-footer van per month cannot be met because cashew production
was of the backyard type and processed by micro-enterprises in the island.
Last
year, the province was able to produce 420 metric tons of cashew nuts, according
to the province’s economic data.
Coconuts.
The main crop produced by Guimaras is coconut. About 29,760.43 metric tons of
coconut was produced by the province in 2015 based on the province’s economic
data.
Fish and Seaweeds. The fishing industry also has a major contribution to Guimaras’
economy. Guimaras ranks 6th among the provinces in Western Visayas
in terms of fish production, and 5th in terms of inland fish
production. Additionally, seaweed production is a prime livelihood in Guimaras’
coastal communities.
The
agriculture sector is included in the province's investment priority areas. Investment
is made on post harvest facilities, high-value crop production, seed production
and processing, food processing, aquaculture and seaweed production, poultry
and livestock production and processing, salt processing and water processing.
Guimaras
is also one of the beneficiaries of the Philippine Rural Development Program
(PRDP). This is a six-year program (2013-2019) designed to establish an
inclusive and market-oriented agrifishery sector through strategic investments
in priority commodity value chains. The program partners with LGUs and the
private sector in providing key infrastructure, facilities, technology, and
information that will raise incomes, productivity, and competitiveness in the
countryside.
FOOD PROCESING SECTOR
The
food processing sector of Guimaras contributes 13.28 percent share (P3.65
million) in the said sector in Western Visayas.
Currently, there are 11 mango processors in Guimaras. They are
McNester Food Products (Buenavista), Trappist Monastic Products (Jordan),
Guimaras Bests (Jordan), Boboy Delicacies (Jordan), Merlys Delicacies (Jordan),
Daday’s (Jordan), The Pitstop (Jordan), GNP (Jordan), Guimaras Wonders
(Jordan), Rochemar (Jordan) and DS The Real Sweets (Sibunag).
TOURISM SECTOR
Guimaras
is a high performer in terms of tourism because of its numerous islands, beaches,
religious sites, historical sites, farm sites that catch local and
international tourists’ fancy. This resulted to economic activities and
employment in the province.
In
2015, the Department of Tourism has recorded 94,315 tourist arrivals and 1,762
were foreigners. The DOT added that the 2015 tourist arrivals generated a total
of P1,751,758,711.80 in tourist receipts.
There
are 12 DOT accredited tourism establishments as of March 2016.
The
tourism sector is included in the province's investment priority areas. To
benefit are farm resorts and sites (both inland and coastal flora and fauna),
beach resorts, natural parks, mountain and inland resorts, campsites,
zoological and botanical parks.
AGRI-AQUA RELATED ACTIVITIES
Apart from the Trade Fair, the sectors
mentioned above have prepared activities for the 23rd Manggahan Festival. They are the following:
· Mango Growers and Financiers'
Day on May 11, 2016, 9
a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Guimaras Caterers Association and Food Processors' Night, 9
p.m. onwards
· Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Day on May 13, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and
· Mango Eat All You Can starting
May 14, at the Trade Fair Area.
Have a taste of what Guimaras
has to offer. Visit the Agri Trade and Tourism Fair starting May 11, 2016. While you are there, have a tour and enjoy the beautiful
sights of Guimaras.
For
more information about the festival and other activities, you may visit the
Guimaras Manggahan Festival Facebook page.
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