Ibrahim Guiamadel, DTI Region 12 director, said the total earnings of the 16 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that joined the NTF 2009 comprised 22 percent of the event’s total sales, making the region the top seller.
“These earnings were based on the reported actual cash receipts, booked and under negotiated sales generated during the NTF,” he said in a press statement.
Guimadel said Region 12 was followed by Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) with earnings of P7.08 million and the Region 7 with P6.4 million.
He said CAR and Region 7’s earnings represent 13 and 12 percent, respectively, of the NTF’s total sales. According to event organizer Center for International Trade Exposition Mission (CITEM), total sales in the NTF reached P54.3 million.
The MSMEs from the region that participated in the NTF were Kablon Farms Corporation, VMotril Food Products, South Valley Foods, Angel Joy Foods, Ninos Foods, Cresing’s Coffee, Coco Wonder sugar, KM Foods; RIC Malapatan, Cotabato Banggala, MKM Brasswares, Klowil MPC, Banga Cornhusk, Gensan Gardeners, Frivas Enterprise and Mindanao Coco Fiber.
Guiamadel said the region’s top-selling products were the semi-processed craft materials like coco-fiber, T’nalak cloth and rolls and corn husk twines.
He said these products generated millions worth of orders from domestic and international clients.
He said the other top sellers are high-quality corn husk decors and functional items, processed tuna value-added products such as chorizo, siomai, embutido and rolls as well as dehydrated vegetables like powdered chili, ube and squash.
Guimadel said the overall target of the participating entrepreneurs such as the launching of new products, gaining domestic orders, getting new customers and observing the market were realized.
“Three participants shared that they have orders that will keep them busy for two years because they got booked orders for a minimum of 10 tons per month,” he said.
To ensure that these orders will be met by the producers, Guuimadel said they conducted a debriefing recently for all NTF participants.
“Those who shared difficulties in supplying the demand will be closely monitored (by DTI),” he said.
Guimadel said among the strategies suggested by DTI to the concerned MSMEs are the employment of more workers, training or subcontracting jobs to skilled workers from other areas and ensuring quality control.
He added that they briefed some MSMEs that have arranged possible export sales on documentation procedures in exporting and other legal requirements related to export trading. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)