DAVAO CITY — Two food companies — Peanut Kisses from Bohol and Cheding’s Peanuts of Iligan City — are considering sourcing raw peanuts from Mindanao growers to replace imports.

“Peanut Kisses, based on our initial talks, have 90% of their inputs come from outside of the country… they have a very low supply of peanuts from Bohol so they need to expand the supply base in Mindanao, and the same with Cheding’s,” said Theoffany Joy D. Cabanda, agribusiness and marketing expert of the Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agricultural Development (MinSAAD).

Ms. Cabanda said representatives of the Bohol-based Alturas Group of Companies and Cheding’s Peanuts, Inc. met with Mindanao peanut farmers during last week’s Usapang Kalakalan forum organized by MinSAAD, a program implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

“With this encounter with the buyers a peanut farmers will be happy and will be planting more peanuts,” said Alvin S. Obrique, MinSAAD agribusiness and agroforestry component manager.

Mr. Obrique said among the potential suppliers are farmers in Caragan Valley in Compostela Valley province, where peanuts are a traditional crop cultivated by indigenous peoples, and the remote barangay of Ned on Lake Sebu.

The MinSAAD representatives said the matching activity was intended to identify the quality and quantity that the buyers demand as well as what can be offered to the farmers in terms of technology and farm inputs.

The Usapang Kalakalan forum was attended by farmers representing about 20 people’s organizations from the regions of Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City).

The event focused on five agricultural commodities: rubber, peanuts, coffee, rice and corn. — Maya M. Padillo

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