The Panay Local Food Festival and Trade Show, which took place at Robinsons Place Iloilo last week, sought to provide opportunities for local farmer associations and cooperatives. The event also sought to help beneficiaries of the Panay Island Upland Sustainable Rural Development Project (PIU-SRDP), which aims to provide a direct link between local food producers and consumers.

The event was organized by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Department of Agriculture-Region VI.

“The two critical components of productivity and poverty alleviation in this country are access to credit and direct market [and] this KOICA project in Panay actually serves as a model of that concept,” explained Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol. “[If] farmers are given support in credit and in the marketing of their products, they will be more productive and will earn more.”

It was earlier reported, PIU-SRDP developed structures across Panay to help promote local goods, primarily in far-flung areas. In an effort to market local goods, a regional local food terminal and 10 Bayanihan Tipon Centers have been constructed.

Trade fair sale sales totaled P578,081./WDJ