Duterte supports Banana Industry Dev’t Council

DAVAO CITY — President Duterte is pushing for the creation of a Banana Industry Development Council which would look into the production of banana, considered to be a leading export of the country.

“The proposed measure is the creation of a Banana Industry Development Council. Now it should be a law, I cannot give executive order,” the President told the participants to the National Banana Congress 2016 here here in Davao City over the weekend.

Aside from the creation of the said council, the President said he is open to all other issues that the banana stakeholders would want government to intervene.

Banana is mainly produced here in Southern Mindanao which has a total hectarage reaching 450, 000 hectares, which the President said is rather huge.

The total investment in banana is said to reach P150 billion, employing thousands of workers especially in the provinces.

The annual wages in the banana industry reportedly reach P446.4 billion and total tax contribution is P6 billion with a total revenue as of 2014 placed at P1.2 billion.

The President said the banana industry has also been affected by the recent drought that plagued the south, aside from the fact that there has also been a drastic reduction in the maximum residual level of produce.

“Peace and order and the pest and disease. We only need really to conserve resources. But if there is no graft and corruption anymore, matutulungan ko kayong

lahat,” the President further told the banana growers gathered at the said congress.

The government has also admitted that the billion-dollar banana industry continues to be hampered by attacks of rebel groups in Mindanao, where the biggest banana plantations are located.

The continued attacks of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have been affecting the banana industry following operation shutdown of some banana companies in Mindanao.

“The greatest challenge of the banana growers in the Philippines is really the law and order because of revolutionary tax, extortion and everything. If it’s not taxation of the communists, it’s extortion of the roving bandits in Mindanao,” the President said.

The President also emphasized that there is a need for banana growers to expand their plantation.

“Because we are all interested in expansion. If you are into the banana, and you only plant banana 20 hectares for 10 years, ay huminto ka na diyan, malulugi ka na niyan

kung ganoon. Iyong banana na plantations and everywhere business, you have to expand. If you do not expand, babagsak ka,” the President said.

He stressed that, in the process of expanding, it is also important to take into account the peace and order situation in the south which he said his government is now addressing.

Duterte said that his efforts to reach out to rebel groups and iron out law and order would have a big implication on the banana industry and the agriculture sector, as a whole.

“Banana farming is really in Mindanao. But if you have rebels bothering you and even burning your equipment to extort money, your business will be affected,” he said.

Meanwhile, the President likewise cited China for easing the restriction on the entry of fruit exports from the Philippines, especially bananas.

In fact, the lifting of the suspension of the entry of Philippine bananas to China followed what happened last March when at least 35 tons of bananas worth $33,000 were destroyed by the Chinese authorities in Shenzhen by mashing and putting them in a pit for landfill due to excessive pesticide use.

China has been considered to be the fourth biggest market of the country’s banana, following Japan, the United States and Hong Kong.

The lifting of the suspension of Philippine bananas actually came at barely a week before the President visits Beijing on Oct. 19.

China has lifted the suspension of fruit exports by some Philippine companies, including Sumifru, Banana Brothers Inc, Evita Banana Trading Company Inc., Nader and Ibrahim S/O Hassan Phils. Inc., Tagum Agricultural Development Trade Co. Inc., TVEM Links International Co., Stanfilco Division of DOLE Philippines Inc., Phil Pack, Continental Farm Corp. and Lapanday Diversified Products Corp.