Davide in talks with PEZA for possible Argao agrizone

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Economic Zone Authority and the Cebu provincial government are considering to develop an agro-industrial economic zone in Argao, Cebu.

PEZA director general Lilia De Lima announced that Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III are discussing the possibility of establishing an agro-industrial zone in Argao, as one of the thrusts of PEZA to open up a growth avenue for agriculture related activities.

De Lima said they started registering agro-industrial zones since 2007 and within seven years it recorded a total approved investments of P27.52 billion.

PEZA record shows that a total of P5.88 billion were invested by the ecozone developers while the remaining P21.63 billion were invested by locators.

Investments both came from local and foreign investors which came from the United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Panama, British Virgin Islands, and Cook Islands.

De Lima noted that the agro-industrial ecozones have created a total of 45,643 jobs all over the country.

Most of these agro-industrial ecozones are located in Mindanao regions.

Among these agro-industrial ecozones nationwide are: Sarangani Agro-Industrial Ecozone, Agrotex Gensan Economic Zone, Philippine Packing Agricultural Export Processing Zone, Irasan-Roxas Zanorte Special Economic Zone, Sarangani Economic Development Zone, SRC Calumpang Economic Development Zone, SRC Allah Valley Economic Development Zone, Ecofuel Agro-Industrial Ecozone, CIIF Agro-Industrial Park-Davao, Balo-I Agro-Industrial Economic Zone, Candelaria Agri Special Economic Zone, Samar Agro-Industrial Economic Zone,San Carlos Ecozone, Carmen Cebu Gum Industrial Zone, New Jubilee Agro-Industrial Economic Zone, and AJMR Agro-Industrial Economic Zone.

Registered activities in these ecozones include the following: production of feeds for fish, shrimps, and other aquaculture farm; seaweed processing; production of crude coconut oil, cochin, RBD oil (refined, bleached, and deodorized oil), copra expeller cake, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palm olein; production of acidulated oil, all purpose vegetable and shortening, copra solvent extraction pellets, degummed oil, and bio treated copra meal; manufacture of desiccated coconut and coconut milk powder; production of processed foods and beverages; milling of crude oil and copra cake; production of fresh pineapple and pineapple concentrated juice; production of pineapple solids, mixed-fruit products, tropical fruit cocktail, and nata de coco; processing of canned fruit base food;, among other agri-based related productions.

According to De Lima, PEZA will further expand agro-industrial ecozones across the country as it will soon proclaim some agro-industrial areas registered under her office.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with National Economic and Development Authority-7 regional director Efren Carreon, he said that processed agricultural products manufacturing is pushed.

Already, Cebu is hosting good processed fruit manufacturing plant, such as the dried mangoes, VCO, among others. However, he said that with the growing technology, more and more fruits that abundantly grow in the Visayas will now be processed as juice, pressurized packages, that are deemed profitable for both local and international markets.

Pushing the agri-based manufacturing, will not only help improve the employment rate in Cebu, but it will also help farmers in other neighboring provinces, like Negros, Bohol and even Leyte to increase cost of agricultural products like coconut, Guyabano, buko (coconut water), jackfruit, moringa (Malunggay) among others.  (FREEMAN)