Monday, April 07, 2008 Ask DA, PBGEA says of land conversions
THE umbrella group of banana producers and exporters in the country would rather have the Department of Agriculture (DA) answer the allegations that the conversion of irrigated lands from rice fields into banana plantations here in Southern Mindanao is one of the causes of the reported rice shortage that the country is experiencing right now.
Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) president Stephen Antig said in an interview Sunday that the Department of Agriculture is in a better position to answer.
"I do not have the data to back it up," Antig said. "Maybe the DA can answer that better," Antig said.
DA 11 chief Roger Chio said in an interview Thursday that in 2007, the rice production of Southern Mindanao was only 427,000 metric tons, representing only 70% of the total demand for rice in the region.
Southern Mindanao only ranked 14th out of the 16 regions of the country in rice production.
"The deficiency is sourced at nearby rice-producing regions," Chio said.
The DA 11 chief added that in the Davao region, of the 54,000 hectares of irrigated farmlands about 12,000 hectares were converted to banana plantations.
He added that if only the banana companies placed their plantations in non-irrigated lands like those in the uplands then rice production in the region would not be affected. (CPM)
