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Cebu's food
players urged to participate
in Mindanao Food Congress in October
CEBU -- The perennial peace and order
problem in Mindanao has not hindered businessmen in the area from
investing and finding their niche in the country's and the world's
economy.
In fact, the Mindanao Business Council
Inc. (MBCI) is already set for the three-day 5th Mindanao Food Congress
(MFC) to be held on Oct. 23-25 at Apo View Hotel in Davao City,
MBCI trustee Annie Ty said.
MBCI is now inviting Cebu's food industry
players to go to Davao and join the congress.
Mindanao has been the battlefield of
the war between the government and different Muslim rebel groups
including the Abu Sayyaf.
Ty told a press conference at the office
of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Friday: "Mindanao
faces yet another war, this time in the global market."
During the food congress, she said,
MBCI aims to have a clearer direction on how to carry on Mindanao's
task of being the country's food basket.
Mindanao has been so blessed with natural
resources that it has become a source of raw materials such as banana,
pineapple, corn, coffee, coconut, durian, raw rubber, palm oil,
cotton, cut flowers, seaweed and high value tuna. Mindanao is also
a major producer of livestock, mango and crabs, she said.
Ty said 80 percent of the fresh tuna
used for export and local consumption come from Zamboanga City,
while 90 percent of the canned tuna or sardines come from General
Santos City.
Key players in the food and agriculture
industries in Mindanao will gather together during the MFC to discuss
pressing industry concerns such as infrastructure problems. The
MBCI also hopes for the participants to contribute recommendations
for food and agricultural concerns for possible government interventions
and private sector participation.
The food congress would also serve
as a venue that would provide the participants with expanded business
networks and market linkages. JBN
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