Producer-leaders and representatives from various agricultural producer associations in Mindanao finally took destiny and that of the future of Mindanao agriculture into their own hands when some 500 of them met for the first-ever Mindanao Agri & Food Convention (MAFCON) in Cagayan de Oro City last April 23 -25, 2007. Mindanao's agricultural production leaders ended MAFCON with a strong declaration of commitment and determination to pursue a unified private-sector-led development agenda for the Mindanao agriculture, fisheries and food industry.
"A momentous milestone," Convention Chairman Engr. Edwin Andot, President of the host Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries of Northern Mindanao (CAFFINORMIN) exclaimed. In his opening statement at the MAFCON, Engr. Andot laid out a deeply significant self-realization in the industry:
"We have come to realize that unless we embrace the reality of a globalized market environment, unless we in the production sector upgrade our technologies and cultivation practices, unless we shift our mindsets to be more entrepreneurial in our approach to our farms, we will not successfully hurdle the necessary leap from traditional production to the more profitable world of agribusiness."
Over the next three years, the Department of Agriculture has allocated some P2.5B of irrigation funds that will service a total of 175,000 hectares in Mindanao and that another P5.5B is allocated to build over 3,400 kilometers of farm-to-market roads to ensure the realization of a vibrant, competitive Agribusiness Mindanao Super Region.
Technical Support for Agri Business
Beyond technical trainings, the producers of Mindanao also need more training in entrepreneurship to transform the traditional production mindset of the Mindanao farmer into being an entrepreneur. The farmers, fisherfolks and food processors are mostly still at a disadvantage compared to traders who have ready access to market information. They cannot afford to maintain market researchers and corporate planners who are able to monitor world trade and trends that will help them in production planning. Along this line, the producer associations recommended that an updated marketing information system for Mindanao's export winners as well as commodity export boards should be established and regularly funded by government.
Moreover, large-scale wholesale and/or auction markets need to be designed and established in strategic locations in Mindanao to provide a more transparent trading mechanism where many buyers and many sellers as possible transact on a daily basis. This will allow the emergence of market systems with the qualities of a systematic, clear, transparent, and liquid market with defined players, standards, rules of clearing, and settlement. Strong government support in terms of resources and local ordinance are needed.
One Mindanao wide Agri Body
The most significant result of the conference was the resolution presented on the floor for the associations to convene and draw up a Mindanao-wide network of agriculture and food producers which is envisioned to take the lead role in pursuing a common agenda through policy advocacy, institutional networking, and information sharing.
Thus, at the end of the MAFCON, these associations committed to undertake the following initiatives: endeavor to organize a Mindanao Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food Industries which will serve a the main advocacy group of local agri, fisheries and food producers; consolidate and update existing industry development plans to draw up a common private sector-led development agenda; establish and/or strengthen partnerships with other support groups such as donor institutions, non-government organizations, other industry associations to undertake relevant programs and services beneficial to their respective industries.
Among the producer associations who supported this initiative were CAFFINORMIN, SOCSKSARGEN Federation of Fishing & Allied Industries, MinFruit Council, NorminVeggies, Paglas Group of Companies, CARAGA Oil Palm Producers Association, Northern Mindanao Poultry Association, Higaonaon Tribal Council of Northern Mindanao, Greater Northern Mindanao Mango Development Foundation , Inc., Northern Mindanao Cassava Industry Association, Banana Industry Development Association Region 10, and Northern Mindanao Corn Producers Association. More producer groups in other parts of Mindanao will be invited to be part of this agri & food network and be pro-active in the realization of a competitive Agribusiness Mindanao.
Indeed, MAFCON has succeeded to be the main discussion and trade platform of Agribusiness Mindanao. As Convention Director Marriz Agbon puts it, "being the brainchild of Mindanao's agricultural/rural communities, we see MAFCON growing to be the principal forum of exchange of experiences and technologies among Mindanao 's agricultural producing sector. We envision a MAFCON emerging as the main avenue for crafting the development agenda of Mindanao agriculture. We are looking at a MAFCON as the priority trade stage for doing business with Mindanao agriculture."
I say that a convergence of initiatives led by the private sector warrants full support. And this group surely has all of us in Mindanao backing them up.
Onward, Agribusiness Mindanao!
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