Provides description of long gestating crops (LGC's) such as natural rubber, mango, durian and fast- growing trees and its potential for expansion in the market. Because of its tremendous potential for growth, the development of LGC's will have impact on poverty alleviation, including agro- processing, export and employment. In the series of consultations conducted by the Growth with Equity in Mindanao in early 1996, it identified the lack of financing access for long- gestating crops (LGC) as one of the policy imperatives.