“PH Export Bananas Being Attacked By Coronavirus!”

In case you didn’t know (I didn’t): “Banana is one of the Philippines’ major export fruit crops, producing more than 2 million metric tons (MT) every 3 months (19 June 2019[1],” Press Reader). That major.

Above, read my scary title again – might as well be physically true as sounded by local banana exporters 3 months ago and in the words of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar: “We’re losing our market share to other countries.” He is referring to Cavendish banana being exported by other countries. That is according to the report of Madelaine B Miraflor (22 September 2020, “DA Worries PH Losing Export Market Share In Bananas[2],” Manila Bulletin). Miss Madeleine says it is something Mr Dar is “starting to seriously worry about.” Mr Dar says (Mr Dar’s image[3] from Manila Bulletin):

The Philippines is losing in the (banana) export war. What happened? ¶ “If left unchecked, this will substantially reduce the Philippines’ exports, disrupt trade in the international markets, and cause suffering on (our) banana growers, farmers, workers and their families, which may lead to social unrest.

Mr Dar’s Big Worry derives from the statement of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, PBGEA President Victor S Mercado Jr that he made 3 months ago about a likely loss of demand (banana box image above[4] from Avante Agri-Products):

There is a risk China, the current biggest export market for Philippine’s Cavendish banana, may prefer to source its supply of the yellow fruit from Vietnam and Cambodia in the next months because these countries have fewer COVID-19 cases.

Covid-19 is not the Philippines’ fault, but it’s there bothering all countries.

From another angle, Miss Madeleine says:

(PBGEA Chair Alberto Bacani) thinks the country’s banana output will likewise decline this year due to loss in hectarage in banana plantation, thanks to the Panama disease, as well as stiff market competition overseas.

There are now 2 major diseases that our banana growers have to worry about: transmission of the human Covid-19 virus through the transactions, as well as transmission of fungal wilt (Panama disease).

Big problem requires bold moves.

So, Mr Dar has:

Assigned P100 million to rehabilitate Panama-disease affected Cavendish plantations in Mindanao, both big and small growers; and, in so doing:

Challenged the PBGEA to match that P100 million for the conduct of a sustainable research and development (R&D) program to control the disease and rehabilitate affected areas.

The R&D program will produce by tissue culture plantlets of the Panama disease-resistant banana varieties to be distributed to farmers to rehabilitate their farms.

Additionally, outside the Cavendish farms, for other farmers in other places, Mr Dar says the DA will implement a nationwide development program for the cooking banana or saba, of the Cardaba variety. The fund of P120 million will cover 10 provinces: Apayao, Cagayan, Oriental Mindoro and Quezon in Luzon; Samar and Leyte in the Visayas; and Agusan Del Norte, Davao Del Sur, Lanao Del Norte and North Cotabato in Mindanao.

Under Mr Dar, the DA has got all the banana bases covered!@517

 

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[1]https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/tempo-9gc1/20190619/281921659568298
[2]https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/22/da-worries-ph-losing-export-market-share-in-bananas/?
bclid=IwAR3MHIGQkkexEvbVHgWU3GAIezYttcXA9TWDMW7_qAljajRoq24OBLhgxTk
[3]https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/22/da-worries-ph-losing-export-market-share-in-bananas/
[4]https://www.avanteagri.com/products-packaging/