DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/02 September) — Exhibitors of Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) earned a total of P613.170 million in sales from 2010 to 2014.
Records from the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCII) revealed that the highest revenue was in 2012 at P233.439 million in sales from livestock, poultry, and agricultural produce.
It was also in 2012 the group first held the event, touted as the biggest agribusiness expo in Mindanao, at the 7,835-square meter and 5,000-seater SMX Convention Center Davao at the SM Lanang Premier.
The chamber is also eyeing to surpass the income generated three years ago, bringing the target to P300 million this year.
The 17th DATE will be held on September 25 to 27, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center with 170 booths displaying various agricultural products and technology from Davao Region.
Organizers are coming up with same topic as 2012 in preparation for the Asean Economic Community (AEC), which will take effect by end of this year.
“When we say AEC, we become a single market, meaning there’s zero tariff among member nations,” Wilfredo Teves, DCCCII vice president for agriculture, said.
He added local exporters must take advantage of greater opportunities offered by AEC.
He noted that among the livestock industry players only a few have made it to the global market.
“These are the things that the government and the private sector must work on. Our plan is to how to be able to bring the products out,” he said.
Teves cited a bigger opportunity waiting for the poultry industry in the Asean.
“Kaysa padad-an tag karne dire, better kung kita ang magpadala sa atong produkto (Instead of us importing meat, it would be better if we export our products,” he said.
He told the local hog and poultry raisers to take advantage of being free from dreaded diseases such as bird flu and foot-and
-mouth diseases that have been plaguing some Asean neighbors.
He said six trade attachés from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Dubai, and Thailand will also participate in the three-day expo to discuss how products of each of these countries can penetrate the market.
“The culture of each market is different,” Teves said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
