The incoming Duterte administration should provide more government support to abaca farmers to expand production and exports, according to outgoing Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.
Despite its potential to boost their incomes, Alcala said farmers shy away from planting abaca because of high-production cost.
“Not too many farmers want to go into the production of abaca, resulting to a low production.” The abaca farmers really need more government support on the production side,” he said in his speech during the anniversary of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida).
These concerns, he said, are included in his report to incoming Department of Agriculture (DA) chief Emmanuel F. Piñol.
The DA noted that abaca is an ideal “companion crop,” especially under coconut and fruit-bearing trees, and could provide secondary or additional income to farmers.
Alcala said he has requested PhilFida to use all resources and technologies available to maintain and keep existing abaca nurseries, which provide planting materials to farmers.
“At the end of the day, farmers who want to expand will need quality-planting materials, so it is important that nurseries will be available to deliver the necessary abaca-clonal materials,” he said.
Alcala said he instructed PhilFida Executive Director Clarito M. Barron to ensure that every regional office maintains a good supply of clonal abaca-planting materials for the farmers.
He urged the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards to craft, as soon as possible, quality standards for abaca.
Alcala also said market-matching will allow abaca farmers to have ready buyers for their produce.
Barron, for his part, said the DA has provided production support to 11,442 abaca farmers in terms of technical assistance and distribution of seedlings.
He said a total of 306,053 planting materials were distributed to abaca farmers in 2015. The agency distributed 157,554 to 26 individuals and 31 groups, while 146,993 plantlets were distributed to 59 individuals and 35 groups.
Statistics showed that both the area planted to abaca, as well as the number of farmers, increased from 2014 to 2015—from 176,548 hectares and 122,758 farmers in 2014, to 179,858 hectares and 125,530 farmers last year.
In 2015 there was also a 36-percent increase in the exports of raw abaca fiber valued at $127 million.
Barron pushed for the sustained implementation of PhilFida’s Abaca Disease Management Program and Abaca Rehabilitation Project. He said these two programs are geared toward increasing yield of abaca fiber, which will eventually address the problem on low supply of fiber in the country.
Image credits: Cai Ordinario