Eating organic food is not just hip, especially for young adults who are pretty much aware of the illnesses being suffered by their elders due to lack of nutrition and toxins from the food they ate. Going green is the new economic trend in banana industries as modeled by Sumifru Philippines Corporation.
Having started reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides since 2006, Sumisho Fruits or Sumifru, which engages in the sourcing, production, shipment and marketing of various fresh fruits, primarily the export of quality Cavendish bananas, finally inaugurated its Go Green Facility in one of its plantations in Dacudao, Calinan, Davao city last May 4.
The company, according to Alan Apolinar, group manager of Go Green Facility, has spent more than PhP100 million in building the facility, but in return, got 15-20% better yields of bananas with more balanced and nutritious fruits. He said telling the market that their products have no pesticides is a great advantage in the market.
As producer of quality fresh fruits, Sumifru has 25% share in the Philippine’s international market, with Japan as biggest. It has also markets in Korea, Middle East, New Zealand, China and is still pursuing other opportunities in other countries.
Sumifru started banana production since early 1970’s and now has a total of 11, 175.46 hectares of banana plantations in different locations in Mindanao with 1,886 growers and 4,304 landowners; It operates in 362.59 has. in Bukidnon, 2,734.77 has. in Davao City, 4,119.36 has. in Davao del Norte and ComVal, and 3,958.74 has. in Cotabato city.
Its major facilities in Davao City are the AJMR Port Complex located at km. 20, Tibungco, Technical Support and Services Group and Go Green (Organic Fertilizer production) in Dacudao, Calinan.
Go Green facility
“Go Green facility is the response of Sumifru towards managing the areas where we operate,” Apolinar said. This will be producing alternative products to replace synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. “Go Green Facility will be producing beneficial microorganisms which we will be using in our composting, disease control, insect management, water and soil treatment,” he said.
Sumifru has composting facilities in 10 locations such as T’boli in South Cotabato, Compostela Valley, and Dacudao in Calinan, Davao City. “We are also producing biofermentation products as supplement for compost, also vermi-compost. And we’ve found the synergistic effects between the liquid fertilizer and vermin-compost,” Apolinar said.
He said from 2006 to 2009, compost application covered 9,625 has. or 80% of Sumifru’s total plantations. It means only 19.79% is yet to be applied with reduction of synthetic pesticides. The company was able to reduce the use of synthetic fertilizer in nursery management by 50% and of synthetic pesticides at eco-area by 75%. It had produced 19,187 liters of botanical extracts, 152,249 kilos of effective microorganisms (powder), 373,457 liters of effective microorganisms (liquid) and 70,962 tons of compost.
Apolinar said with their 50% cut down of synthetic fertilizers into banana trees improved the biodiversity of the soil. “Earthworms were found all over the place. Bees and earthworms are the most important animals for sustainable farming. Roots were coming out, and banana trees had healthier leaves, bigger stems, buds and buns,” he said.
The only constraint they have in composting is the supply of raw materials. However, Apolinar assuaged the issue, saying they are “looking what wastes are available in the community. In the future we’re going to utilize the waste coming from the household.”
In conjunction with composting facility, Sumifru has botanical farms which started in 2006 in its six strategic locations. “We had planted 60 has. for our botanical formulation, including in Dacudao hills. The areas where we cannot plant bananas, especially along river banks, we planted botanicals. T’boli was planted with 45 has. of Jatropha (tuba-tuba, in the Bisayan dialect), used as additives in to our spray formulation,” Apolinar said.
The company also has a technical services group who analyze the soil and leaves to come up with better recommendation for fertilization and do actual inspection or field evaluation. State-of-the-art machines are utilized to analyze all important parameters in determining what kind of fertilization program should be implemented. The diagnostic facility will analyze the major problems in pests in order to discover the most appropriate solutions.
Is 100% organic possible?
Claiming to have zero percent (0%) of synthetic pesticides during post-harvest of Sumifru bananas, Apolinar, who has been working in banana plantations for more than 25 years, said that 100% organic in banana operations has never been attained. “We’re not aiming for 100% organic. We know the side effects of using too much pesticides and synthetics, we will try to minimize as much as we can but not 100%,” he added.
Paul S. Cuyegkeng, Sumifru President, said they have a difficult time in going totally organic in bananas. He said Philippines, as a place native to bananas has more diseases than anywhere else.
“Maybe there is a solution, maybe a certain percentage of organic and chemicals. Hopefully, companies can create chemicals that will not harm the environment. We don’t know. We don’t know where the future goes. But, right now, based on what we know, this is the right thing to do and we’re trying to do it,” Cuyegkeng said.
Cuyegkeng promised Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, founder of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ the Name Above Every Name, who attended the blessing cum inauguration of Sumifru Go Green Facility, as well as Myrna Ortiz, Davao City councilor of 3rd district, to listen to any complaint of their constituents living nearby or in the middle of Sumifru’s banana plantations.
