DA 11-HVCDP conducts training on banana tissue culture

The Department of Agriculture DA 11- High Value Crops Development Program (DA XI- HVCDP) recently conducted the Hands-on Nursery Management Operations Training of banana tissue culture for mass propagation in response to the scarcity of high-quality planting materials considering as staple food and addressing the need of Banana manufacturing products.
The training aims to upgrade and enhance the LGU technical personnel on their knowledge and skills in handling nursery management operations particularly banana tissue culture plantlets for the banana expansion area in the different coastal municipalities in region 11.
Also, to have an easy access of planting materials within the area thereby reducing the mortality rate in handling and transporting new plants.
About 25 Agricultural Technicians (ATs) from the different LGUS of Davao region attended the training, aiming to improve their knowledge and skills on the basic processes in raising tissue cultured banana.
During the training, the ATs had an observation tour to the Bureau of Plant Industry-Davao National Crops Research Development Center (BPI-DNCRDC) different projects, wherein they were exposed to some nursery activity operation and management.
The participants were given information about the banana industry through series of presentations by Melani A. Provido, Regional High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) Coordinator, Teofila S. Capirig, Regional Banana Focal Person, Dulthe E. Espirituoso, Officer in-charge of Quarantine Service and Concepcion E. Soguilon, Chief of Tissue Laboratory.
DA 11 center chief for Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) Dr. Susan Razo encouraged the participants to fully grasp the knowledge which they will get from the training.
“The need for banana, especially the cardava variety as an alternative food source to support the country’s food self-sufficiency program and the best way to propagate it is through tissue culture and establishing nurseries in the different localities,” Razo stressed.
Meanwhile HVCDP coordinator Melanie Provido reported that basing on the RA 7900 also known as High Value Crops Development Act, banana is the leading fruit grown in the Philippines and a consistent top dollar earner.
“The prospect of Philippine bananas in the domestic and foreign market is promising. Furthermore, the country has Cavendish and banana chips for export and is currently increasing the production of ‘saba’ as a staple crop,” Provido further said. (Aggie Media Service)