Thursday, October 18, 2007 City allots P2-M for abaca lab renovation By Joy Romares-Sevilla
COUNCILOR Leo Avila said Wednesday the City Government has started the renovation of the abaca tissue culture laboratory as Davao City targets to produce more disease-free planting materials next year.
"We already have an existing tissue culture laboratory at the City Agriculture Office. What we are doing now is renovating the laboratory," Avila said in an interview.
He said a total of P2 million is allotted for the renovation and "we are getting support from the private sector."
Avila, one of the guests during Wednesday's edition of the Club 888 at the Marco Polo Davao, said the City Government is focusing on agro-forestry as it is considered a major response in poverty reduction in the uplands.
"Abaca is one of our agro-forestry crops. Agro-forestry development is our newest strategy to protect the watershed and the remaining forests and to provide income and reduce poverty in the uplands," Avila said.
He said with an expanded tissue culture laboratory for abaca, the local government will be able to propagate disease-free plantlets which will be distributed to abaca farmers.
Avila said the City Government is also actively pushing for the expansion of abaca plantation in Davao City.
"The Fiber Industry Development Authority (Fida)-Southern Mindanao is working on the expansion all over Davao City. We need to expand because there is a growing demand for abaca in the world market. Kung dati P14 per kilo lang ang abaca fiber, ngayon umabot na sa P50 per kilo," Avila said.
It was learned that Davao City was once identified as the commercial center of abaca in the Philippines.
"Davao City had more than 45,000 hectares of abaca in 1920's, ngayon the city only has 787 hectares of abaca," Avila said.
