Stakeholders on Friday are pinning their hopes on an industry road map to further address concerns of the banana growers nationwide.
The Banana Industry Development Roadmap 2018-2020 was launched by the Banana Industry Development Council (BIDC) on Friday during the International Banana Conference at the SMX Convention Center.
The BIDC is supported by President Rodrigo Duterte himself. Senate Committee on Agriculture Cynthia Villar, who lead the induction of the new set of BIDC officers, lauded the stakeholders in finding means to uplift the banana industry which is considered as the high value crop industry in the country.
“I know that 2017 was a challenge-ridden year for the banana industry, from tax constraints to diseases that have hit the crops,” Villar said.
She added, “The roadmap will direct the industry not only to further growth but towards sustainable solutions to problems and challenges it is encountering and may encounter in the future.”
According to Philippine Statistics Authority, 2018 posted a higher production that reached 2.36 million metric tons of banana. It was 3.8 percent higher than the 2.27 million metric tons during the same period of 2017.
Davao Region recorded the highest share of 39.6 percent of total banana production followed by Northern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN with 17.8 percent and 12.2 percent respectively.
Factors cited are the increase number of bearing hills of Cavendish banana and more fertilizer usage in Davao Region.
Cavendish variety accounted for 51.7 percent or 1.22 million metric tons of the country’s total banana production. Moreover, Saba variety shared 29.0 percent while Lakatan and Other varieties shared more than 9.0 percent each.
The senator then said that she is confident with the development roadmap on hand and the industry council in place, the banana industry will continue to add high value to the Philippine agriculture sector.
In a previous report last year, the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) expressed concerns regarding the declining share of the world banana industry.
They warned that the industry might suffer its end in the next two to three years if threats such as tariffs imposed on banana products shipped to export markets; disease and pestilence; climate change; speed and interconnectivity of markets, and inconsistencies of government policies will not be properly addressed.
