GUIMARAS – Through the first-ever “Dragon Fruit Festival: A Fresh Experience”, this island province seeks to bolster its bid to be an agri-fishery and eco-tourism hub.
According to Gov. JC Rahman Nava, dragon fruit is a potential agriculture product of Guimaras, and the festival is a way to introduce the fruit especially to those who are not aware of it and its benefits to human health.
“The potential to propagate this more in Guimaras is there, the market potential is also there,” said Nava.
The dragon fruit fits well with the provincial government’s aim to converge agriculture, environment, fishery, and tourism as economic drivers of Guimaras, he added.
Just like sweet mangos that Guimaras is known for, the governor said they want the province to be popular also for quality dragon fruits.
“We are not big producers (of mangoes) but we produce quality ones. That is what we also hope for the dragon fruit. If you want to taste the best, visit Guimaras,” said Nava.
He also emphasized the province’s tagline, “Guimaras is mangoes and more,” which means that the province has more to offer than just mangoes.
Nava believes small farmers can benefit from this undertaking and with proper technology available can produce quality dragon fruits and byproducts.
Provincial agriculturist Alvin Nava, for his part, said that currently, there are around 17 hectares cultivated by 36 dragon fruit growers.
The province was able to produce 12 metric tons or around 12,000 kilos of dragon fruits last year.
This year, the provincial agriculturist expects to exceed last year’s production. As of this September, harvests already reached 12,000 kilos.
Meanwhile, for Special Operation Officer IV Francis Gentoral, the Dragon Fruit Fest is part of the provincial government’s strategies for development. He said the province is maximizing its assets and among these are its land, natural resources and people
“It is not just about convergence sang mga tawo or opisina but convergence of these resources para sa economic development,” said Gentoral.
The Guimaras Dragon Fruit Fest is also a localization of the National Tourism Month celebration. It will be held from Sept. 29 to 30 at the provincial capitol grounds in Barangay San Miguel, Jordan town.
The Dragon Fruit Fest is expected to generate trade, create jobs and present investment opportunities.
While it is expected to enhance the promotion of Guimaras’ tourism industry, the festival is also anticipated to boost revenue at the local level.
The Dragon Fruit Fest, to be held in partnership with Agri-Tourism, Farmers, Owners, and Operators Association (GATFOOA), also aims to increase public awareness on the dragon fruit, which may help increase the income of local growers, as well as encourage farming and consumption of the dragon fruit.
The two-day festivities will also feature a bike caravan, job fair, and a trade fair which will showcase dragon fruit products.
There will be a demonstration of dragon fruit cuisine and dragon-fruit based products through the “Dragon Fruit Kitchen” featuring Kulinarya chefs from the Department of Tourism.
A “Dragon Fruit classroom” will then provide guests with information on the dragon fruit value chain./PN
