Mindanatoday.com | Coconut farmer groups join 43rd Lanzones Festival agro-industrial, trade fair
CAMIGUIN – One of the highlights during the kick-off of the 43rd celebration of the province’s Lanzones Festival on Oct. 23, 2022 was the agro-industrial and trade fair held at the Ugmad site in Mambajao town of this province.
One of the primary products produced on the island and a major source of income is coconut. As such, the by-products of coconut were one of the showcased products at the said agro-industrial and trade fair.
The fair featured a variety of high-value coconut products made by the local coconut farmer groups, including virgin coconut oil, coco sugar, coconut water vinegar, coco coir, and food items made from coconut.
These groups are Mahinog Small Coconut Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative and Baylao Small Coconut Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which produced the virgin coconut oil; Guinsiliban Food Processors Association, which produced the coconut sugar; Quiboro Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which produced the coconut vinegar; NAGPAKABANA Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which produced the coco coir; Tupsan Pequeño Women’s Group, which produced the coco candy; and Quiboro-Poblacion, KALIPI Organization produced the buko pie.
The groups were organized and trained by tying up with different agencies like the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Local Government Units (LGU).
They also received machineries from the Philippine Coconut Authority-10, while the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided assistance with packaging and marketing.
In order to improve the livelihoods of our coconut farmers, one of the objectives of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) is to grow our coconut industry by producing high-value coconut products. (PCA-10)
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