The 9th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival posted (as of 12:00 noon) a total of P3,180,856.10 Million in sales during the five-day festival that started Wednesday, November 19 and culminated Sunday, November 23, 2014 at the Provincial Capitol Grounds.
With the theme “One Negros, One Green Economy, the festival saw an increase in the number of exhibitors reaching to 216 compared to last year’s 154.
The first day sales was P581,179 while on the second day totaled to P706,915. On the third day of the festival, sales reached to P782,366 and on fourth day was P775,125. On the fifth and final day, as of 12:00 noon, it posted P335,271.10 in sales, totaling to P3,180,856.10 Million.
Items sold at the festival include fresh organic vegetables, grains, fruits, fresh milk, juices, eggs, native delicacies, plants, machinery as well as cooked seafood and meat products.
Organic food producers and processors, upland farmers, indigenous peoples, cooperatives, local government units, non-government organizations, people’s organizations who are aggressively promoting organic products joined the five-day festivity.
The festival continues to be a collaborative effort of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and the Organic Na Negros! Organic Producers and Retailers Association (ONOPRA) in cooperation with the Provincial Government of Negros Oriental, Department of Agriculture (DA), Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (NISARD), Department of Education (DepEd) , National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), National Organic Agriculture Program, UNEP-Green Economy, FAO, the Negros Museum, ABS-CBN Bacolod and GMA and other line agencies.
Gov. Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. has earlier noted that the continued success of this organic festival reaffirms the statement of Department Agriculture Secretary, Proceso Alcala, when he declared Negros Island as the Philippines’ Leader in Organic Agriculture.* CAPITOL NEWS