THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) XI said there will be a slight decrease in fruit supply, particularly high-value crops, for the holiday season.
During the Agribiz forum on Oct. 24, Arlene Seguiro, DA XI focal person for fruits, said they will only be able to supply more or less 80 metric tons of harvest for December, based on the City Agriculture Office’s data.
“Expected gyud siya na mubaba gamay since pa off-season naman ta, but naa paman ta’y makuhaan sab sa atoang mga neighboring regions, and also sa provinces na lahi pud ang season nila,” Seguiro said.
Seguiro also stressed that the cost of these fruits may naturally increase, so they would still conduct their regular price monitoring to ensure that some retailers won’t take advantage and jack up their prices.
Meanwhile, Seguiro said they plan to distribute equipment, like 44 units of mini chainsaws, 44 units of power sprayers, and plastic trays for post-harvest, for durian farmer groups associations, and cooperatives all over the Davao Region next year.
The equipment provided will allow producers to keep up with the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) protocol, a standard provided for high-value crops.
