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Written and Photos, Taken by Lawrence Bariring

LUCENA CITY, Quezon – To help the pineapple growers of CALABARZON region increase their income, the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Region IV CALABARZON conducted an enterprise development seminar for the commodity at Queen Margarette Hotel, April 26 – 27.

The activity provided the farmers with ideas on value-added activities they could do to their crop. Likewise, all speakers emphasized the importance of joining an association especially when they want to avail of the government’s interventions.

Pineapple growers from General Luna, Quezon and San Pablo City, Laguna participated in this two-day activity. Representatives from the Agricultural Program Coordinating Offices in Laguna and Quezon, High Value Crops Development Program of DA CALABARZON, and local agricultural officers also attended the seminar.

Agriculturist II Rosalina P. Almero of DA CALABARZON Regulatory Division gave an overview of good agricultural practices (GAP) for pineapple while Marketing Development Specialist II Colene Sheila P. Magpantay of DA CALABARZON AMAD discussed the Philippine National Standards (PNS) and pineapple’s grading and classification.

The Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) presented their findings for the pineapple commodity. I-PLAN’s Planning Officer Kevin I. Calubayan presented the regionwide value chain analysis (VCA) for pineapple with the cost and return analysis for fresh pineapple; Planning Officer Missiles M. Somoza for the constraints and opportunities included in the provincial commodity investment plans (PCIPs) of Laguna and Quezon; and I-REAP Business Development Officer Juneliza I. Pandela for the cost and return analysis for processed pineapple products.

AMAD also invited speakers from different agencies. University Extension Specialist Leonisa A. Artes from Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research Center – University of the Philippines Los Baños (PHTRC-UPLB) discussed the postharvest handling and practices for pineapple; Senior Fiber Development Officer Mario M. Llanes of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) shared the opportunities on pineapple fiber production and processing; and Rizal Provincial Director Fernando E. Ablaza of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) presented some of the pineapple processing technologies and assistance from his Department. #