Pinoy S&T services for farmers and entrepreneurs program beneficiaries sign marketing agreement

Details: Written by SMCLemos; Published: 08 May 2015

Baybay City Mayor Carmen L. Cari (fourth from left, standing), together with VSU President and TechnoMart Project Leader, Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo (third from left, standing), and VSU VP for R&E and ViCARP Director Othello B. Capuno (next to Mayor Cari) witness the signing of the marketing agreement between the Baybay Food Processors Association and Asst. Prof. Argina M. Pomida, Technical Expert of the TechnoMart Project (2nd from left sitting), other members of the BFPA and jackfruit farmers.

The Baybay Food Processors Association (BFPA), represented by its president, Ms. Martha Y. Villalino, and Mr. Felizardo G. Darasin, a locally-registered jackfruit farmer, entered into a marketing agreement for the Pinoy Science and Technology Services for Farmers and Entrepreneurs (PSF) Program of PCAARD on April 6, 2015 at the G/F, Center for Continuing Education, VSU, Baybay City, Leyte.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Ms. Villalino, Mr. Darasin, Asst. Prof. Argina M. Pomida, Technical Expert of TechnoMart Jackfruit Project, and Ms. Elena P. Siddiqui, City Agricultural Officer of Baybay City, Leyte.

The program aims to address gaps in S&T on- and off-farmers’ fields to enhance the competitiveness of AFNR-based technology products in the market which is being realized through the “Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Jackfruit Products in Leyte through TechnoMart” and Science and Technology Community-Based Farm on Jackfruit Production in Leyte (STCBF) projects.

Likewise, they received technical support from the PSF Program through the TechnoMart and STCBF projects which are under the coordination of the Visayas State University (VSU). One of the objectives of the PSF Program is to ensure smooth mobility of the products from raw material source to the market thus intends to bind the raw material source.

The scope of the agreement states that the supplier and the processor (referred to as Mr. Darasin and the BFPA represented by its president, Ms. Martha Y. Villalino), agree to sell the jackfruit product and purchase on terms and conditions set. The product shall mean whole jackfruit sold. The quality requirements of the jackfruit are: 1) it should only be from grafted EVIARC Sweet and AES 2 varieties, 2) physiologically mature at 140 days old, without deformities (cracks, unfertilized portion/s, and holes), and 3) the fruit weighs no less than 8 kilograms.

Meanwhile, fruits labeled with their corresponding age without deformities and weigh 8 kilograms or more will be bought at PhP16.00/kg and PhP14.00/kg for EVIARC Sweet and AES 2 varieties, respectively. Fruits sold will be bought without limit on quantity provided that the fruits are of the specified quality. For each purchase, a notice shall be sent via SMS at least two days prior to the target delivery date. The delivery place shall be at the Baybay City Agricultural Office and transactions shall only take place from Monday to Friday except on holiday.

Beneficiaries of the project include jackfruit farmers from the municipalities of Javier, Abuyog, Mahaplag, Baybay, and Inopacan or from District V of Leyte.