Banana growers seek government intervention on Iran ban

Monday, October 11, 2010

CAVENDISH banana growers and exporters are now in a frenzy to seek the government's intervention on Iran's imposition to ban the entry of Philippine bananas into their country.

While Iran is not in the top destinations of locally grown Cavendish bananas, it is still a $175 million market that the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association do not want to lose.

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"We are seeking for the help of the Department of Agriculture and of President Noynoy Aquino to help us out," Stephen Antig, PBGEA executive director, said stressing that the issue has become an inter-state affair.

"We are helpless on the issue, there is nothing that we (PBGEA) can do," he said.

The ban came as a huge surprise for a lot of countries that export their agricultural produce to Iran. Pears from China, apples from France, and even oranges from Egypt have been included in the 49-products-long list of banned items.

Antig admitted that several channels to Malacañang are already being looked into to immediately bring the concern to the President. Calls made to the Office of the Agriculture Secretary have not been immediately returned.

Tehran's Minister of Agriculture Sadigh Khalilian said that the ban was in line with the new economic policies of the country, which was geared towards self-sustainability with regard to agricultural products.

The ban took effect last September and will be on an indefinite period. The Philippines sends an average if 50 million boxes of Cavendish bananas annually to Iran.

Based on the January to July data of PBGEA, the companies of La Frutera Incorporated and Lapanday Foods Corporation are the leading suppliers of Cavendish bananas to Iran.