DA-10 joins Daesang in spearheading their Prospective Cassava Suppliers’ Meeting in CdeO City, to tap more FCAs for their fresh cassava tubers requirement.

 

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The regional field offices of the Department of Agriculture-10 (DA-10) and 13, recently support a South Korean company in the hosting of their Prospective Cassava Suppliers’ Meeting here in the city, to tap more farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs) for their fresh cassava tubers requirement.

The company, Daesang Philippines, Corp., a food processing company, is engaged in the business of cassava starch production.

They are set to have their manufacturing plant completed by July of this year and is expected to be in operations the ensuing month.

Of which, the Korean firm eyes deliveries from different cassava clusters to their facility located inside the PHIVIDECH Industrial Estate in Sta. Ana, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, to fill their need of 400 metric tons per day to overall meet their annual starch production target of 33,000-40,000 metric tons.

“Today, we are here to introduce our tapioca project to the farmers, consolidate, and explain the series of processes related to tapioca tuber raw material such as purchase, delivery, inspection, and payment,” Incherl Han, Daesang president remarked, in his message.

With the proximity of cassava-producing FCAs in Northern Mindanao to the tapioca starch manufacturing facility, it can be recalled that a string of consultative meetings with the Korean company in collaboration with Philippine government agencies – DA, Bureau of Investments, Department of Agrarian Reform, and the Cooperative Development Authority, who are involved in providing support mechanisms to empower cassava farmers, have already resulted to the inking of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in April of last year.

In said agreement, Daesang will buy the cassava harvest of two FCAs and a trader from Manolo Fortich town, in Bukidnon province; while from Misamis Oriental – three FCAs, one each from the municipalities of Magsaysay, Balingoan and Alubijid.

Eyeing to enlist more cassava growers to seal a deal with Daesang, and even expanding to nearby CARAGA region, the Korean-owned firm tackled during the business meeting proper its requirement quantity, receiving flow, delivery, quality testing, pricing policy, incentives, receiving flow and calculation examples, payment term, purchasing flow, and future commitments.

DA-10 OIC-Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado represented by Joel S. Rudinas, DA-10 consultant remarked, “we would like to express our joy that we have this suppliers’ meeting, so we can discuss the receiving and purchasing protocols, and open new possibilities of perhaps, extending the opportunity by which we could all benefit, both from the farmers’ viewpoint and the regional economy, in general.”

Mr. Rudinas added that through Daesang, “we have found allies or partners who will help us in our local economic activities.”

On the other hand, Mischelle F. Egama, DA-NorMin’s cassava focal person bared that for the current year, the department continues the provision of cassava stalks, farm tractor, hauling truck and information-advocacy materials, and the establishment of model farms to support cassava clusters regionwide.

Next year, she revealed that the agency will further strategize, ranging from the provision of high-yielding planting materials, fertilizers distribution, the conduct of trainings and research, establishment of model farms, and provision of farm machineries, equipment and hauling truck.

Cassava buying price gleaned from the meeting is starch-content based on 25% and with DA providing market pricing references, which will be factored in during price negotiations between Daesang and the cassava-producing FCAs.

“I believe that if each one of you and Daesang will walk together, we will be able to uplift cassava farmers’ lives, provide employment, contribute to the development of the agriculture sector in the Philippines, and stabilize local economy.” Songho Baek, Daesang factory manager said, capping off the event. # (JLO)