Home-grown brands of upland coffee and various fruit wines from the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) community of Adams in Ilocos Norte are among the best-selling products of the ongoing summer trade fair at the Ilocos Robinsons Place in San Nicolas town.

For the first time after more than a decade of holding the annual summer trade fair to showcase the talent, craft, and ingenuity of micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in the province, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in cooperation with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has added a new platform for IP groups to showcase their products.

“This is part of the DTI’s continuing commitment to help our MSMEs market their products. This time, we have added the IP groups and farmer-entrepreneurs for the seven-day shopping of locally-sourced products,” said provincial director Amelia E. Galvez in her speech during the opening program of the 15th summer trade fair.

Instead of holding the event for five days like in the past, the DTI has extended it to seven days this year to give more time for MSMEs to make more sales and for consumers to have more time to select other local products.

Participated in by 44 exhibitors, the trade fair, according to organizers, “is not just for selling activity but also to study buyers’ preference” for the improvement of products.

As people make rounds to check on the different local product exhibits, Carmelita Abnasan, an IP member and owner of Cardom’s Farm in Adams said participating in trade fairs like this has given her more opportunities to expand her market.

“The DTI has been very helpful to us. We make more sales in exhibits as we earn new and repeat buyers too. It also gives us more ideas on how to improve our products,” she said in an interview.

Aside from selling freshly-picked Japanese cucumber, lettuce, and strawberries among others, Cardom’s Farm also processes various fruit wines grown at the farm to ensure that nothing is wasted when supply is high.

With the influx of tourists going to Adams these days, Cardom’s farm is among the frequently visited agro-tourism sites in the province, offering “pick and pay” for visitors as well as “free coffee” and modest “farm-stay” accommodation for those who wish to stay longer.

In partnership with the Ilocos Norte government and the office of Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, this year’s summer trade fair has welcomed new exhibitors for more IP products and farmers’ products to be discovered by a wider market.

Among the products featured are fresh and processed food, houseware and decors, wearables and fashion items, gifts and souvenirs, wellness products, woodcrafts, and many more. (PNA)