The Municipal Agriculturist Office (MAGRO) of Sto. Tomas has distributed a total of 20,000 Fusarium Wilt tolerant banana tissue seedlings to 300 banana farmers across the municipality, according to Engr. Elmer Degorio.
Degorio said the program being implemented by Ernesto Evangelista administration seeks to ensure the production via tissue culture of quality banana resistant varieties.
He added that the distribution of these seedlings to farmers aims to rehabilitate and re-plant disease-damaged farms.
This Fusarium Wilt tolerant variety is called the giant Cavendish banana and has greater acceptability in the international market, promising greater returns for farmers.
Apart from this, the administration of Evangelista through MAGRO has also distributed 470 (1.5 liters of Liquid Trichoderma) and 2,540 sachet of Liquid Trichoderma.
Degorio said that local government technicians had done an assessment since the onset of infestation and to implement control measures, adding that MAGRO has also recommended alternative crops for farmers who opt to shift to other crops.
Meanwhile, Evangelista has filed a legislative request from the Sangguniang Bayan to help the Tomasino small banana growers in terms of price fixing, manipulation, pole vaulting, among others.
