Philippines: MinDa to boost tomato output to meet demand of canned sardines makers

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) wants to reduce the dependence of local canned sardines makers on imported tomato paste and sauce coming from China by re-aligning the government agency’s massive vegetable development program, which will now prioritize tomato production. In a statement, MinDA Chair Emmanuel Piñol said MinDA’s Vegetable Derby Program in the Zamboanga Peninsula will now focus on the production of tomatoes in order to supply the 20,000 metric ton (MT) of paste and sauce requirements of sardines factories in Zamboanga every year. This “twist”, said the former secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), came after his consultation with the leader of the sardines-making group based in Zamboanga City. In a meeting, Jaydrick Yap, president of the Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing Association, Inc. (SoPhil), told Piñol that Mindanao’s sardines industry requires about 20,000 MT of tomato paste and sauce every year. The volume represents the requirements of 10 ...