Del Rosario bent on federating small banana growers

DAVAO del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario reiterated his plan to federate all small banana growers in the province to give them more bargaining leverage in dealing with the many woes confronting the industry.

In a recent consultative meeting with about a hundred small banana growers and cooperatives at the Lakan Pakals Restaurant in Tagum City, the governor convinced the small banana growers and cooperatives to merge into a single organization in order to have the upper hand in addressing issues confronting the sector, like pole-vaulting and the proposed banning of aerial spraying.

Click here for Election 2010 updates

Pole-vaulting is a practice where a contract grower sells his produce to a company that offers higher prices other than the legitimate banana corporation he had signed a contract with.

Del Rosario has viewed pole-vaulting as an alarming problem that is threatening the number one dollar earner of the province.

"After the elections, we have to federate the small growers to eliminate pole-vaulting in the province," he asked.

He added uniting the small growers groups will also give them advantage in opposing the banning of aerial spraying, which when approved, he says, will signal the downfall of the banana industry, causing big financial losses and unemployment to more than a 100,000 Dabaonons.

Del Rosario, who was a former corporate president of the country's largest banana exporter, now considers himself belonging to the lot of small growers.
He has since been helping small banana growers improve their income by entering into financing, technical and marketing agreement with them through his new company Tropical Fresh Fruits, Inc.