LIST OF AGRIBUSINESS INVESTMENT POTENTIAL IN REGION 8

1. Jackfruit Production
Jackfruit production in Region 8 is growing in terms of hectarage, but yield per tree per unit time remains very low. Due to the increase in population and export demand, there is a need for area expansion (commercial scale) to boost production and for commercialization to be sustainable.

Mass propagation of quality planting materials is being undertaken and the jackfruit processing laboratory based at RIARC has focused its activities on evolving technologies to maximize the utilization of jackfruit and its by-products.

An aggregate of 250 hectares jackfruit plantations/orchards were established through the Plant Now Pay Later Scheme (PNPL) by five (5) farmers' organizations in the different parts of the region.

2. Mango Production
Prospects of the mango industry could be promising in the region. The large demand for mango, both at the foreign and local markets, has triggered many fruit growers to engaged in mango production. In Eastern Visayas, an estimated area of 150 - 180 hectares is now planted to mango with Leyte as the major producing province.

Financial capital and the lack of certified planting materials are some of the major problems of the industry. However, some measures have been undertaken to improve the situation. The bright future of the industry in the region has welcomed financial lending institutions. The advent of networking will provide accessible information on the accredited sources of the plant materials. As regards to technical requirements, the Department of Agriculture has the pool of experts in mango production.

3. Coffee Production
This is a profitable enterprise, considering the uprising consumption of coffee and other special coffee brews both in local and foreign markets. Coffee production trends however, showed a slowdown, causing some of our processors to import coffee beans. In region 8, coffee production is very promising. The climate is favorable to the plants there is much labor force and the ready market assures the absorption of all coffee beans produced. Recently, technical support to improve production has been provided by the Department of Agriculture and support of financial institutions has been solicited.

4. Vegetable Production Project
High value vegetables crop production poses great challenges to prospective investors in the region. Local production of these crops is far below to saturate the demand. It has been noted that vegetable commodities like carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, sweet pepper, Chinese pechay, Baguio beans and others, come from areas outside the region like Cebu and Cagayan de Oro. Hence, there is a good potential to invest in vegetables production considering the region's climate and the products demand.

5. Yellow Corn Production
Yellow corn production exudes a very bright prospect in the region considering the flourishing livestock and poultry which will largely absorb the yellow corn grains for the processing of mixed feeds. Recently, yellow corn has been gaining acceptance to our local farmers. Eight (8) farm clusters with an aggregate area of 400 hectares per cluster has organized themselves to venture into commercialized corn production.

6. Hybrid Rice Production
Rice being the staple food accounts the region's ever produced crop. Despite the large hectarage devoted to its production, it was noted that yield is still below the per capita consumption, prompting authorities to import this from other regions. With the objective to obtain self-sufficiency in this staple crop within the framework of national and household food security and competitive advantage, usage of hybrid rice seeds could boost production performance.

7. Cutflower Production
At present local producers cannot satisfy the local market and oftenly flowers are imported to the region during special occasions. This is quite an irony considering the presence of the favorable climate, technical know-how and much labor resource to be utilized in this venture.

8. Coco Coir Twines, Plant Liners,Geotextile, Coconut Fiberboards & Coco Peat Production
The region is predominantly planted with coconut trees at the hillsides and in some of its flatlands. After producing copra, waste materials such as coco husks, coco shells, fronds, spathes, wood and others are merely utilized as firewood and charcoal, but mostly these are left to rott in the fields. The processing of these indigenous waste materials into high value coco coir products such as coco twines, coconut fiberboards, plant liners, geotextiles and cocopeat poses a great potential, in Region 8 considering the abundant supply. Currently, while these products have a great demand both in the local and foreign markets, local production trend seems to lag behind.

9.  Large Ruminant Production

• Carabao Production
  Carabao is still the most common source and method of traction in the rural areas. Be it in the lowland or upland farms, farmers depend on carabao for tillage. The carabao population in Region 8 has drastically reduced during the epidemic in the middle 90’s. Investing in the production of carabao on a commercial level has not been very attractive due to the animal's long gestation period. Yet the need for the animal as source of traction, meat, milk and other by-products are opportunities that could not just be ignored.
  
  The price of ready to breed animals ranges from P12,000.00 to P14,000.00 per head. Compared to other livestock, raising carabao incurs very little feed cost as it thrives on forages and other grasses abundant in the region. Possession of a carabao in the rural areas is an insurance that somehow a farmer can do something in his farm. Owning a carabao is a need for survival. Hence, the demand of the animal cannot be overemphasized.
  
  On the technical requirements, the tie up of the Philippine Carabao Center at LSU, ViSCA and DA RFU 8’s Carabao Breeding Center in Gandara, Samar has resulted in the improvements of existing stocks and the provision of technical information to would be raisers.
  
• Cattle Production Beef are priced higher than other meat. Cattle are slaughtered daily and sold in the Tacloban market. Most of the stocks for slaughter come from Masbate. The rest are sourced from the western part of Leyte where existing cattle ranches are found. The existing supply cannot cope with the demand. Raising cattle will also incur very little feed cost as it thrive mainly on forages and grasses. Region VIII has a Beef Cattle Center located in Sogod So. Leyte where information and technical assistance on beef cattle production can be obtained.

10.  Small Ruminants Production

• Goat Production
  Goat raising in Region VIII is a potential enterprise due to the presence of bio-physical factors suitable for its sustainable production. Most of the uncultivated areas in the region have slightly rolling and undulating topography where native grasses grow. These can be cultivated and planted with improved pasture grasses for grazing of ruminants. Most areas under coconut trees in the region are ideal for goat production. On the technical aspect, the Malitbog Goat Center has been the venue for training and the source of technical information and assistance on goat production. The Department of Agriculture through its Regional Goat Center has recently been introducing the Boer goats which created positive responses from farmers.
  
• Sheep Production
  Compared to goat raising, sheep production in Eastern Visayas is relatively new, yet it is becoming popular and thriving. Integrating the raising of sheep into the farmers farming system can provide better economic returns in terms of sales of animals and its products aside from increasing crop yield. The success of raising sheep is inherently well-suited to the capabilities of small-hold farmers and the prevailing farm conditions. The region has typical areas suited for sheep production: under coconut where herbage growth is moderate to supply the feed requirement of the animals; grassland areas whose topography ranged from plain to slightly rolling and populated with native vegetation; and agro-forestry areas where reforestation activities are conducted and livestock production is a component for livelihood support. Region VIII has a regional center for sheep located in Caray-caray, San Miguel, Leyte where information and technical assistance on sheep production can be made available to interested sheep raisers.
  
• Swine production
  Swine production is still the most popular livelihood enterprise among farmers in Region VIII. It is not uncommon to find 4-6 head of swine for fattening or a 1-2 sow level among backyard raisers. Yet the local supply cannot satisfy the demand as evidenced by the entry of hogs, from as far as Gen. Santos and Davao in the south and Masbate in the north. There are existing feedmills in the region which cater to local feed needs. Commercial feeds are likewise available, as there are feed dealers located throughout the provinces in the islands of Samar, Leyte and Biliran. At present there are commercial swine establishments that can provide the stocking needs of semi-commercial and backyard raisers. What makes the region more attractive to swine investors is that it has been declared as an FMD free area.
  
• Native Chicken Range Production
  Pure Native Chicken Range Production
  This is promising in rural areas where farms are located distantly from barangay settlements. Native chickens roam freely and are able to supplement their diet by eating grain wastes and other available feed materials. There are great demand for native chicken from restaurants along the Maharlika Highway and even in eateries at various town centers of the region where "tinolang manok" is almost always asked by patrons for viand.
  
  Range Production of other Chicken Breed
  Free range chicken is the in thing for poultry raisers these days. In Region VIII, Kabir and Sasso chickens are already raised in limited heads. These breeds of chicken are ideal for range production. Its advantage over the native chicken is that it grows more at a relatively lesser time. Also the eggs produce are bigger than the native chicken. It thrives well on local condition and can survive by eating farm grain wastes and foraging around. It is also more resistant to diseases compared with the commercial breeds of poultry.