Manila, Oct. 1 -- The Department of Agriculture-Davao (DA-11) announced on Wednesday that it recently brought together key stakeholders to boost the growth and competitiveness of the Cardava banana sector.

In a statement on Wednesday, DA-11 regional technical director Marie Ann Constantino emphasized the importance of establishing direct connections across the banana value chain.

"Such initiatives pave the way for sustainable enterprise development, enabling the region's Cardava banana industry to thrive both domestically and in the global market," she said.

The forum, held on Sept. 26, gathered smallholder banana farmers, farmer cooperatives and associations (FCAs), and agricultural technicians from various local government units (LGU...