As part of the city’s initiatives to support local farmers, the Davao Food Terminal Complex (DFTC) was upgraded with additional state-of-the-art cold storage facilities and ancillary equipment for better packaging and processing of fresh produce.
During the turnover on April 17, the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Division (DOST-ITDI) provided the DFTC with another cold storage facility; packaging equipment including a twist sealing machine, tray lidding machine, and continuous band sealer; washing area; and encoding machine.
City Agriculturist’s Office (CAgrO) Head, Edgardo Haspe, said in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO) that the upgrading of the DFTC is a huge help, especially in reducing the post-harvest losses of the farmers.
“Dako siya’g tabang labi na sa atoang post-harvest losses no, kay kasagaran man gud though dako ang production, almost 30 percent of that ang mawala tungod sa post-harvest losses. Kini nga facility, semi-process facility, magamit siya para katong mga produkto labi na sa mga gagmayng mag-uuma kay di man kaafford, we have here the facility giturnover, gipagamit sa DOST para sa atoang mga mag-uuma sa Davao City. At least, mareduce ang post-harvest losses sa gulay ug prutas dinhi sa Davao City [It is a huge help in our post-harvest losses since usually, despite the high production rate of the city, almost 30 percent of this is lost due to the lack of storage facility and proper packaging and processing equipment. This facility, a semi-process facility, can be utilized by our farmers to process and package their produce. At least, through this, we can reduce the post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables of the city],” he said.
DOST Region XI Regional Director, Dr. Anthony Sales, said during his speech that the project of “upgrading the capability of distribution centers and trading ports in the delivery of fresh and semi-processed agricultural products focusing on packaging technology and logistics” was a joint initiative of the DOST and the city government and was implemented by the DOST-ITDI.
According to Sales, the upgraded facility will help mitigate product damage and spoilage, and will also serve as an important development for local farmers and producers.
DOST-ITDI Director, Dr. Anabelle Briones also said that the equipment they turned over – not only to the city but to other regions identified for the project as well, were curated according to the needs of the agricultural sector of the area.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, through a message delivered by Haspe, extended his gratitude to the DOST, CAgrO, and other stakeholders who were instrumental in the realization of the project.
“The City Government of Davao hopes that this project will inspire more collaborative initiatives that will safeguard our produce, promote innovation, and ensure a seamless agricultural food chain. Let us continue to harness the full potential of Davao City’s agricultural sector,” Mayor Duterte said.
Currently, with the newly turned over equipment from the DOST-ITDI, the DFTC has 8 cold chain storage and several packaging and processing equipment. Both the DOST and CAgrO assured the local farmers that the utilization of the facility and the equipment would be cost-efficient.
The DFTC is open to farmers in the Davao Region although it also prioritizes the city’s agricultural cooperatives and farmers. The food terminal is yet to be fully operational as it is, according to Haspe, still waiting for the installation of dry storage facilities to address the storage concerns of farmers and traders. (CIO)