The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association has launched relief missions this week to areas badly-hit by floodwaters in Sta. Maria municipality in Davao del Sur and in Tago, Surigao del Sur.
PBGEA community development committee chair Virgilio Jimenez Jr. said that 110 food packages consisting of five kilos of rice, noodles, canned goods and coffee were turned over to Sta. Maria Mayor Mila Mariscal Cabanero Monday while another sortie was made to far-flung Tago municipality in Surigao del Sur where an estimated 240 families in two barangays were displaced.
The PBGEA team and local volunteers also planted trees along a stretch of a highway embankment in Tago threatened by swirling floodwaters.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-Asa) reported that rainfall in Mindanao is higher than normal, citing Surigao City where a record 754.8 mm of rainfall was recorded the other day. Rainfall in said area normally averages 603 mm.
Pag-Asa was also quoted saying that “the very wet condition will last longer than expected, “prompting the PBGEA to call on member-companies to assist small growers in preventive efforts against the spread of the dreaded Black Sigatoka fungus in Mindanao.
“The fungus thrives best during the rainy season and any outbreak will be a very serious threat to the industry,” said PBGEA executive director Stephen A. Antig.
Antig urged independent banana farmers to make full use of current technology against the fungus as “any experimentation at this time with unproven methods can be disastrous.” [DevcomPHIL)
