Davao agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) will soon penetrate the international markets for its “King of fruits” – the durian products, as they completed training on good agricultural products (GAP) to make it more competitive in foreign countries.
Forty-eight (48) durian farmers attended the training which equipped them with skills and knowledge on how to produce high-quality durian fruits that could pass the stringent food safety and quarantine measures.
Durian growers also learned new technologies as well as a complete understanding of the export requirements and standards of importing countries.
Joseph H. Orilla, DAR Davao regional director, said the training is part of the DAR’s effort in providing support services to make the CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) lands awarded to ARBs more productive and market-driven.
Orilla said that GAP is a certification system for agriculture and facilitates access to new markets.
He said that GAP ensures the quality of the food and the safety improvement of raw and processed products to be produced by the farmers. It aims to help farm owners maximize yields and optimize business operations while minimizing production costs, and keeping high regard for environmental protection as well as health, safety, and welfare of the workers.
Orilla stressed that understanding the approach, principles, and standards of GAP and benchmarking local GAP schemes against globally recognized guidelines are essential for smallholder farmers and farming families to be properly guided in implementing GAP standards in their respective farm production.
“GAP training aims to equip the durian growers here in Davao with advanced knowledge and skills in durian production. The participants were also oriented on the exportation of their durian products as well as on the phytosanitary protocols that govern the production, marketing, and export of durian products,” Orilla said.
The training was conducted by the DAR in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) in the Davao region, the recognized certifying offices involved in Philippine GAP certification.
The GAP training, stakeholders meeting for high-value crops, and other capability enhancement programs were spearheaded by DAR Undersecretaries Jeffrey M. Galan of the Finance Management and Administration Office and Atty. Milagros Isabel A. Cristobal of the Support Services Office, in support of the call of DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III, to find institutional markets for the products of the ARBs.
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