The House Committee on Agriculture and Food said it has recently approved a measure calling for the establishment of a unit that will undertake scientific research to help farmers fight banana diseases and boost their output.
The setup of the Philippine National Banana Research and Development Center was proposed in House Bill 2926 filed by House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez and Rep. Ruel Peter S. Gonzaga of the Second District of Compostela Valley.
Alvarez and Gonzaga said the proposal seeks to further develop the country’s banana industry and address the serious diseases afflicting it.
“The banana industry has generated earnings amounting to an average of $720 million a year, provided employment to 240,000 workers and contributes P830 million in taxes to local government units,” Alvarez said in his explanatory note.
“On top of that, it also supports 30,000 agrarian-reform beneficiaries and small landowners under various contract-growing arrangements or lease arrangements,” he added.
Citing the Mindanao Development Authority, Alvarez said the banana industry is a significant player in Mindanao as 13 out of the 26 provinces in southern Philippines are dedicated to banana production.
The center, which will be established in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, will be known as the “Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. Banana Research and Development Center” in recognition of the contributions made by Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. to the banana industry.
Gonzaga said there has been a strong clamor for a specialized and banana research center to undertake scientific research which will further develop the industry and address the issue of
sustainability.
He said the industry has suffered from setbacks brought about by a lot of factors, such as El Niño, the devastation of Typhoon Pablo and the recurrence of the uncontrollable spread of Panama disease.
According to the lawmaker, banana producers and stakeholders have voiced out their concerns regarding the industry’s sustainability.
Under the bill, the research center will be placed under the Department of Agriculture and shall be mandated to integrate, collate, and support research and development programs and studies on the banana industry and to conduct continuing research on developing productive, high-yielding, disease-resistant and good varieties of banana.
The measure also said the center will conduct comprehensive studies and research on banana diseases and how to efficiently and effectively address these concerns.
The center will establish, upgrade and maintain germplasm collection and gene bank for banana and banana strains. It seeks to accelerate the transfer of improved banana technologies to farmers and other stakeholders through on-farm research, and scale-up best practices to effectively develop and strengthen the banana supply/chain value.
Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said it is high time for government to come in and support the banana industry.
“The banana industry is an industry that grew out of its own resources, of its own efforts. It barely received any support from the government,” Piñol said.
He said the banana industry has reached its current status as the second-largest dollar earning industry, agro-industry without any support from the government.
“But right now the industry is suffering from a very serious disease called Panama disease. Despite this, the government has not really intervened. When the China market closed about two years ago, the government failed to assist the banana growers,” Piñol said.
26 comments
mas sasaya dyan si delima pag usapan ng mga saging hahhaa
makakbuti ito sa pinas ang pag export at import ng mga goods natin
hindi rin nman kahit anong gawin ganun din,,
pede naman talga ang mga produkto natin i-export kaso lang yuung mga dating admin di naman ito sinuportahan so dapat pasalamat nalang mga local farmers natin sa gobyerno dahil inuuna mga kapakanan nila.
mas maganda mag import lang kayo para dadami ang saging ni delima paborito daw kasi!
sigurado matutuwa sya ng masyado maraming saging sa paligid nya,
good things tlaga at malaking tulong sa mga farmers natin na sila na rin ang mag export sa ibang bansa
wow!mas lalong gaganda ang ating ekonomiya nyan kung mag export tayo nyan sa ibang bansa
ramdam ko na ang pag angat ng ating ekonomiya.
marami naman tayo nyan kaya mas maigi din naman tlga na mag export din tayo
astig tlaga panigurado na lalago ang ekonomiya ng bansa
magaling sigurado matutulungan natin ang ating mga magsasaka nyan.
oo nga mgka isa tayo para sa pag unlad ng ating bansa.
yan ang tintawag na magandang pagbabago ng bansa natin!
malaki ang tulong na magagwa niyan sa bansa natin
anong tulong ang mgagawa niyn?eh wala namn maghihirap pa ang bansa ntin ng dahil jan!
itikom mo alng yan na bibig mo!
malaking tulong yan sa ating bansa,ituloy nyo lang po ang magandang gawain,.
dami nyong uto uto!
wala naman kwenta ang pagka tao mo pre.
hindi ka namin kailangan.
ito na ang karma ni de5,dapat ng matigil ang ksamaan nya.
Wow naman! Malking tulong to sa mga banana farmers! Maraming bagong teknolohiya ang matututunan nila dito sa banana center na ito
Ito ay magandang balita lalo na sa nageexport ng mga saging sa ibang rehiyon!
Yan ang mga tunay na nagsisilbi sa bayan! ang ikakaganda ng pamumuhay ng mga mamamayan ang iniisip
bat saging lang? dapat sa bigas kayo nagfofocus kasi pangunahing kailangan natin yun