Organic Bongulan Banana wows investors at the international trade fair in South Korea

The Philippines’ Organic Bongulan Banana wowed investors attending the International Trade Fair at the Kintex Exhibition Center, South Korea last 24-27 April. Magsasaka Siyentista (MS), Ms. Victoria Agustin Motril of Tupi Techno Pinoy Center, South Cotabato was there to promote the commodity, which is also the focus of the Philippines’ One-Town-One-Product program in Tupi.

The affair was organized by the Korean government to gather entrepreneurs from the ASEAN region to market their own products.

According to Motril, from the 51 participants in the trade fair, she considered herself as the smallest entrepreneur. But, with Motril’s participation in the trade fair, Tupi’s focus commodity gained the exposure it needed to enter the international market.

At the fair, foreign investors already showed interest in marketing the fresh and processed (chips) products. This may result in the creation of alternative livelihood projects in Tupi and additional jobs for local farmers.

Motril is hopeful that with the help of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tupi and the 30 farmer-adopters of the S&T-based Farm on Organic Bongulan Banana, Tupi will be able to meet the expected demand for fresh and processed (chips) Organic Bongulan Banana both local and international. The S&T-based Farm is being coordinated by the Cotabato Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (CARRDEC).

Motril’s participation in the trade fair was supported by the Department of Agriculture Region 12 (DA-12), the LGU of Tupi and of the province of South Cotabato, PCARRD through its Techno Gabay Program (TGP) and CARRDEC. (Josefina Gabucan and Arnold Campos, Tupi FITS Center, CARRDEC)