Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Sunstar Bacolod
By Erwin P. Nicavera
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/business/2017/04/26/eb-magalona-farmers-get-boost-through-agri-aqua-fair-538581

E.B. MAGALONA – Farmers, fisherfolk, and producers in this northern Negros Occidental town are getting boost through the Agro-Aqua Festival Village which opened at the public plaza on Tuesday.

The activity, part of the week-long celebration of the 28th Ugyonan Festival, brings together products from the seven coastal and four upland barangays of the town.

Mayor Marvin Malacon, who led the festival grand opening on Tuesday, said the agro-aqua fair provides an opportunity for residents to showcase and promote their rich agricultural and fishery products.

Malacon said the festival village serves as venue for farmers, fisherfolk, and producers to generate more income as it links their products towards bigger and potential markets.

“The agro-fishery sector has been one of the major contributors to the town’s economic development,” the mayor said, adding that staging the product fair is just one of the measures to help farmer-producers.

The Municipal Government is providing free service vehicle for farmers in Barangay Canlusong, an upland area of the town, to transport their agricultural products down to the market.

For the fisherfolk, the town is a recipient of the P3 million worth of community fish landing center project from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and National Anti-Poverty Commission.

The landing center, which is targeted to be operational this year, will serve as trading post or “bagsakan” that would link fishermen to sure markets.

E.B. Magalona is considered as the province’s major exporter of blue crabs.

The Municipal Government, aside from developing its seafood industry, is currently working on promoting other commodities like fresh cow and carabao milk, pickled “batitis,” a kind of seashell abundant in the locality, and the Canlusong Coffee.

These products are displayed and sold at the festival village as well as in the town’s pavilion at the ongoing Panaad sa Negros Festival in Bacolod City, Malacon said.

“We already have established markets for our organic Canlusong Coffee,” the mayor said, adding that after developing the product, its market value has increased to P250 per kilogram from the previous P120 only.

Themed "Tatak E.B. Mag: Padayon sa Pag-uswag!" this year's festivity runs until May 1.

Published in the SunStar Bacolod newspaper on April 26, 2017.