CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)--After eight years from its last holding, Mindanao Food Congress returned and gathered government policymakers, business leaders, farmers and stakeholders in Cagayan de Oro City last October 26 to 28.
Having the theme, “Transforming Mindanao Agriculture Towards a Food-Secure Future,” the congress seeks to provide a venue for discussion of policy issues and measures for Mindanao Agriculture to further play its role towards achieving food security and sustainability, as it carries the task of being Philippine’s food basket.
“Agriculture remains to be one of the pillars of the Philippine economy. It produces food for a growing population and supply essential raw materials and products for the manufacturing sector and agro-related industries,” said Ruben A. Vegafria, Chairman of this year’s Mindanao Food Congress.
He highlighted that a sustained expansion of the national economy requires sustained growth in the agriculture sector, however, the recent report on the performance of the Philippine economy revealed a dismal contribution of agriculture to the GDP growth for the second quarter of 2022. He said that for an agriculture base country, the economic data is definitely alarming and an ominous sign of food security in the country.
The congress chairman added that it was perhaps for this reason that President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. put agriculture on his priority list. It was also in this context that the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation decided to revive the Mindanao Food Congress which last happened in 2014.
“Gathered under one roof, our government policymakers and agri-business stakeholders are geared at formulating recommendations which will be presented to HE President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.,” he said.
Partner for the Mindanao Food Congress is the India Embassy. During the kickoff event, Ambassador of India to the Philippines Shambhu S. Kumaran said that India and the Philippines share a historical relationship spanning several centuries.
He said that the congress provided a venue for both countries, as dynamic democracies, to build a people-centered bilateral partnership with a focus on key developmental sectors such as agriculture, health, finance, and the digital economy.
“On agriculture, our bilateral cooperation has to move beyond sharing best practices and discussions on policies for this sector. Indian companies are already present in a significant way in the Philippines across the spectrum of agricultural value chains, ranging from agri-inputs: seeds, irrigation pumps; agro-chemicals: pesticides, fungicides, etc.; agri-mechanization: solar-powered cold storage, etc.; and agro-processing,” the ambassador said.
Two other events are held under the congress. These are the Oro Best Expo – the largest and longest-running trade exposition in Northern Mindanao participated by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) of the Department of Science and Technology.
The 2022 Mindanao Food Congress is in partnership with the Republic of India and co-hosted by the local government of Cagayan de Oro, province of Misamis Oriental and the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), and assisted by the Provincial Government of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon, Iligan City, different line agencies, and private sector. (IJBD/PIA10)
