ILOILO CITY — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has approved a P10-million grant to boost the production of dragon fruit in the island-province of Guimaras.

DRAGON fruit from the island province of Guimaras. (Tara Yap)
Maria Teresa Solis, chief of the DA-6 Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, announced this after a business forum as part of the recent 2nd Guimaras Dragon Fruit Fest.
The DA-6 assured support in the move of Guimaras to diversify its agricultural products
and boost its economy beyond the popular Guimaras mangoes.
Francis Gentoral of the Guimaras Provincial Economic Development Office said it is imperative to present Guimaras as having other natural resources while drawing not only tourists but also investors.
The P10-million grant will be sourced out from DA High-Value Crops Development Program.
“Dragon fruit is very promising (as a high-value crop). We should know the market of our commodity,” Solis said.
The grant to be given to the Guimaras Dragon Fruit Growers Association led by Bonifacio Tespoer will be used for fertilizer, planting materials, crates, and training for dragon fruit farmers in the island.