DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said it will train aquaculture farmers starting this week to build up milkfish and white shrimp output, with a target of 10,000 offshore fish cages within two years.

Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, the MinDA chairman, said the Fish Cage Development Program targets production of about 200,000 metric tons of milkfish a year, “which will infuse an estimated P26-B into Mindanao’s economy and provide thousands of jobs.”

The workshop lectures, open to farmers and investors, will discuss milkfish and shrimp production, market potential analysis, available financing from the government and private banks, financial management, processing and value addition, market engagement, and environmental awareness.

“The first workshop will be conducted on site in Malalag, Davao Del Sur, one of the coastal towns in Mindanao where fish cage farming has become a huge industry,” Mr. Piñol said in a statement last week.

Training will be conducted with support from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, government and private financing institutions, prospective buyers, and manufacturers of ready-to-install fish cages.

“It is also designed to support the food security program of the country at a time when diseases pose serious challenges to the livestock and poultry industry,” the MinDA chair said.

The schedule and venue of the workshops elsewhere in Mindanao will be announced later. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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