DTI and Private Sector: Creating banana recipes in challenging times

Creating goodies: Banana rum brownies

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) here has tied up with the private sector in creating a number of banana recipes as an effort to innovate, revive the market since the China issue and find new investors.

The Mindanao Banana Congress which was held at SMX Convention Center last November 7 and 8, introduced various recipes made with banana. DTI Davao Regional Director Marizon S. Loreto said by value-adding, more consumers will be enticed to patronize banana products since they will get to enjoy products other than the traditional ones such as banana chips and banana crunch.

She also said that a number of women had been trained to venture into the banana food business like preparing banana chicken salad wrap, banana chocolate cake with banana chip streusel, banana choco cream trifle, banana rum brownies, fresh fruit taco, and banana oatmeal cookies. The project is aimed at empowering women to become self-sustained and confident in running a small business.

This is also a way to process excess banana productions from the dispute over Scarborough shoal islands that created loses as China market, the largest importer of Philippines’ bananas, supporting the livelihood of about 200,000 farmers, had sharpened its quarantine policy and there had been a decreasing exports to other international markets.

According to National Statistics Office (NSO), the dominant product forms of banana are cavendish and banana chips. These two generated earnings of US$ 360 million in 2010, or about 99 percent of the total banana export earnings.

how about a banana streusel cupcake

or banana chicken salad wrap

or a banana nut cookie?

READ ALSO: Banana growers in Mindanao still suffer loses: China and Europe issues