Speaking of which ...

ANOTHER man-made threat hounding the ba- nana industry are efforts of self-styled environmentalist NGOs led by National Task Force on Aerial Spray Ban to ban, well, aerial spraying in banana plantations. These groups are backed by seven party-list lawmakers through another

proposed legislation—HB 3857—which is “an Act prohibiting aerial spraying as a method of applying chemicals and similar substances on agricultural crops.”

Of course, industry observers are alarmed by this latest development since it’s an old issue, which has been proven to be accusations without real basis.

Aerial spraying is a generally accepted agricultural practice by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations under certain limitations, which the banana industry is strictly adopting lest its importers stop buying from them.

The issue on aerial spraying has actually been extensively discussed during a congressional hearing held in Davao City in November 2009. During that hearing, the NGOs were exposed lying, inventing ill effects of aerial spraying to villagers living near the plantation areas.

These NGOs and congressmen might not know that they are being influenced by other business interests eyeing the Philippines’ dominant share of the banana market in Japan, which buys more than 90 percent of its bananas from Mindanao’s producers.

Lobby money from the Netherlands is behind the campaign against aerial spraying being waged by a coalition of NGOs whose members are all getting funding from the Netherlandsbased CordAid International, one of Europe’s biggest private-sector aid development agencies.

Documents showed Dutch policies to undermine banana producers worldwide but support banana growers in Dutch colonies like Indonesia. Dutch interests are present in the export banana plantations in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands, specifically at Halmahera and Sumateira.

Recent news indicated Indonesia would export 1,000 tons of bananas per year with zero tariffs to Japan through the two countries’ economic partnership agreement. Bananas dominate Japan’s imported fruit market. More than 90 percent of Japan’s imported bananas come from the Philippines.

Do we want to lose that market?