Pudtol, Apayao –Twenty banana growers from Barangay Mataguisi, Pudtol, Apayao can now scale up their banana products and earn extra income after undertaking ‘Banana Resource-based Products Processing’ through the Negosyo Center (NC) of Pudtol on November 11, 2022.
Banana is a profitable business in Apayao, especially since the government is fully supportive of the farmers in producing better and more competent banana products.
A record from the Department of Agriculture (DA) shows that Apayao is the top producer of bananas in 2021 in the Cordillera region, yielding 30,523 tons worth PHP38.6 million from 1,123 hectares of plantation.
Correspondingly, training was conducted to introduce new skills to farmers in enhancing their productivity and transforming banana fruit into finished products.
Said training is part of the services being provided by Negosyo Centers aside from development programs, advice on business conceptualization and feasibility, and marketing, among others.
“The training aims to introduce innovations and processing techniques on how to enhance and transform the banana fruit into finished products that demand for better pricing and thereby increase the income of the producers/processors in the locality,” explained by the DTI-Apayao in their press release.
During the training, Mercedes Castillo, owner of Mercedes Food Products Manufacturing in Barangay Emilia, Pudtol, shared her expertise in processing good quality banana products.
Castillo demonstrated to the participants the techniques of making banana products and provided a lecture about the good manufacturing practices of bananas. Castillo taught the process of producing banana wine and vinegar as well.
Among the outputs of the participants are banana chips with different flavors, unsweetened chips, banana fries, and banana chunks or pickles.
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