THE Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida) has sounded the alarm that abaca production in Bicol, the country’s top producer of the natural fiber, could be in a more dismal state in the future as output in the region last year plunged to a 11-year low.
Full-year data released by PhilFida showed that abaca production in the Bicol Region last year declined by 9.6 percent to 19,838.7 metric tons (MT) from 21,946.22 MT in 2020.
Historical PhilFida data showed this is the lowest abaca output by Bicol Region, which remained the top producer of the country, and was the lowest in at least 11 years or since 2011. This is also the first time in the past 11 years that abaca output in the Bicol Region fell below the 20,000-MT mark.
The decline slashed Bicol Region’s share in the country’s total abaca output to just 29 percent from an average share of 37.46 percent in 2011 to 2020.
PhilFida Executive Director Kennedy T. Costales pointed out that the downward trend of abaca production in the Bicol Region is “very alarming.”
“In 2019, said region produced 26,728.1 MT and in 2020, 21,946.22 MT or a contraction of -17.89 percent. In 2021, it dipped further to only 19,838.7 MT versus 2019 production, or a contraction of -25.78 percent within a span of only just two years,” he said.
“If this downtrend continues, abaca fiber production in the Bicol region will disappear in 6-7 years’ time,” he added.
Costales blamed the downward trend on various reasons that included the malpractice by farmers in Bicol Region of “bacbac” or “umbak” and “pojada” harvesting that leads to the spread of diseases to the industry.
These malpractices involve the harvesting of immature abaca plants, which contain diseases that the harvesters or gatherers are not aware of. The diseases, Costales noted, are transferred to the knives that the gatherers use to harvest and then spread to other abaca plants, including those free from diseases, that are being harvested or gathered.
“When the gatherer, who normally doesn’t own the abaca plantation and has no knowledge of the virus, slits an infected abaca plant, which contaminated the knife, and thereafter he keeps on slitting other abaca plants in a given area, the whole plantation then gets infected by the virus and in about 6 months’ time the abaca plantation area is wiped out and its neighboring abaca plantation within a kilometer or two also gets infected because of the aphid vectors (Pentalonia Nigronervosa) like a domino effect,” he explained.
“The Pojada practice is the same as Bacbac or Umbak. This time, the trader buys the whole abaca plantation at a given agreed amount. In order to maximize his/her profits, he also harvests the immature or young abaca plants. The culprits are still the knives used. When the knives used by the harvesters tumble an infected abaca plant and continue to do so until nothing is left standing but the abaca suckers or followers, the whole abaca plantation will be wiped out in 6 months’ time as the infected suckers will die due to the abaca virus,” he added.
Costales also attributed the declining output in Bicol Region to the lack of proper farm management by some abaca farmers due to the “plant and forget” attitude. He also noted that lack of funding for continued education and training of farmers is also a factor to the downward trend.
Overall production recovers
In contrast to Bicol Region’s situation, the overall abaca output of the country recovered last year as it grew by 9.8 percent to 67,488.11 MT from 61,491.66 MT in 2020 driven by higher output in other regions.
PhilFida data showed that abaca output in Davao region last year grew by 13.4 percent to 14,618.29 MT from 12,894.5 MT, while production in Caraga rose by 3.9 percent year-on-year to 9,6459 MT.
PhilFida data also showed that abaca production in Northern Mindanao expanded by 72.6 percent to 8,243.28 MT from 4,775.63 MT in 2020. PhilFida data showed that abaca production in Bukidnon province alone doubled to 6,065.42 MT from 2,985.49 MT in just a year.
Costales said the country’s total abaca output last year could have returned to the 70,000 MT level if Typhoon Odette did not damage almost 15,000 hectares of abaca plantation last December. Government estimates showed that losses in the abaca sector due to Odette hit at least P310 million, with the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte and Camiguin being affected.