The Mindanao-based banana industry which is now the second largest export sector of the Philippines will push for the creation of a banana industry development council to help solve the problems of banana growers.
This was bared by Domingo Ang, chairman of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Phil-Export)–Davao, which is set to stage another Banana Congress next month in the SMX Convention Center at SM Lanang Premium.
Ang said that President Duterte had expressed support last year to the proposal which is now being studied in the House of Representatives, a process which takes time.
The Phil-Export Davao chair said that the group with the participation of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) under Executive Directror Steve Antig and the Federation of Banana Cooperatives (Fedco) led by Fedco chief executive Ireneo “Rene” Dalayon have combined forces and resources to put up a united front in solving the ongoing challenges of all banana growers due to diseases, adverse effects of climate change and atrocities committed by communist rebel groups.
The banana industry development council, once organized, is expected to come up with created approaches to solve natural and man-made disasters with the help of the government and local and foreign experts.
Ang said the banana industry, composed of both and small farms, employ about 1 million people who are involved in the development of some 450,000 hectares of bananas, must not be abandoned by the government.
Dalayon, on the other hand, said that no less than President Duterte in his speech in last year’s banana congress acknowledged that the “greatest challenge of banana growers in the Philippines is really the law and order, because of revolutionary tax, extortion and everything.”
He said both small and big planters can perhaps come up with an idea which will give jobs and business ventures to rebels, adding that many of them have grown old in the mountains fighting the government and might want to retire from violent confrontation with the government security forces and turn a new leaf in life.
Dalayon said that the problem of pole-vaulting which is practiced by growers who are tempted to sell their produce to buyers who offer prices higher than the rates stated in their contracts with their original buyers is slowly being addressed by the banana cooperatives.
Ang and Dalayon said that since it is taking Congress a long time to come up with a banana council through the enacting of a law, may a council created by the President through an executive order will suffice to quickly address the problems of the industry.
He said the banana industry council envisioned by Phil-Export is all inclusive, meaning growers of all banana varieties will be under its umbrella,
He bared that the banana industry is now composed one half the export Cavendish bananas, and one half composed of the small growers.
