Banana farmers in Davao City are urged to improve the quality of cardava bananas so that they can pass export standards.
Dario Divino, agricultural technologist and focal person on industrial crops of the City Agriculturist Office (CAO), said most of export quality cardava in the region came from the plantations in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur.
“Mao gi-engganyo nato ang mga farmers nga i-improve ang quality sa ilahang cardava. Ang cardava diri sa Davao City wala kay makita nga quality pareho sa plantation nga style. Naay farmers nga mutanum lang ug pila lang ka punuan, Ang naay plantation sa cardava naa sa Mandug ug Callawa ug sila na mismo naa sila’y sakyanan ug truck ug sila na mag deliver sa mga saging sa Davao del Norte ug Davao del Sur,” Divino said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday.
He also said CAO is also conducting training to farmers on banana chips making.
Divino said it’s easy to plant cardava but it needs care. A versatile fruit, easy to grow, high starch quality, can live in marginal areas, can be planted organically, and tolerant to diseases like sigatoka.
He said the proper way to cultivate it is to make the spacing 4 meters by 4 meters wherein a farmer can plant 625 trees per hectare and a farmer can also plant 500 trees under the canopy. After 15 months a farmer can have its first harvest and then six months thereafter.
“I-sure lang sa farmer, naa man tay mga trainings kung unsaon pagdumala sa cardava nga saging, be sure lang nga naa isa ka inahan nga nagdala ug bunga, naay dumaga, naay nagsunod sa dumaga, kanang pinaghagdan ug dili nato pasagdan ang saging. Kinahanglan kontrolon nato ang mga saha para mudagko ang mga bunga,” he said.
He said that cardava is in demand now because it has lots of options for its byproduct.
“Ang cardava usa ka versatile na tanum. Gi-consider ni na ika upat na most important staple food sunod sa humay, mais ug trigo. Dako ni nga programa for food security sa syudad ang cardava kay pang intercrop gyud na siya ug mabuhi ni siya didto sa marginal area ug dili kaayo kinahanglan ug pareha anang pag export na saging. Kani na tanum naa siya napulo hangtod kinse na sipe pero kung gusto nimo nga bus-okon siya, minus one or minus 2 ka ka sipe para dagko siya. Its called early dehanding. Versatile kaayo ni nga saging kay puwede kaunon na hinog lang para source of potassium, puwede maruyaon, toronon, ug himoong banana chips,” he said.
He also mentioned an agri-based company Sagrex, which is exporting frozen turon in the US that has a shelf life of 18-24 months. With this, the turon, a popular local delicacy commonly being peddled on the streets is now being exported and can be tasted in other countries.
“Nag- export na ni sila ug toron sa US. Hinog na cardava gibalot ug wrapper sa lumpia, gibutangan ug langka, tapos gi vacuum pack tapos i-blast freeze tapos pagdala sa US ana, i-defroze, isalang sa microwave,” he said.
