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Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Rehab of abaca industry starts
By Allen V. Estabillo
KORONADAL CITY -- The Provincial Government of South Cotabato has started the massive rehabilitation of abaca plantations in Lake Sebu town in a bid to ensure a stable supply of fiber for the famed T'nalak cloth.
South Cotabato agriculture office chief Reynaldo Legaste cited that abaca supply in Lake Sebu has dwindled over the last few years due to the lack of available planting materials and the infestation of various plant diseases.
"There is still abundant supply for the T'nalak industry right now but it might be depleted later on if these problems would continue," Legaste said.
Through the Lake Sebu Rehabilitation, Conservation and Development Council, he said the Provincial Government had already established an abaca nursery in Sitio Lamkwa in Barangay Klubi.
The nursery is now being utilized for the production of disease-free abaca tissue culture that would later be distributed to local farmers to replenish abaca plants that were hit by the diseases.
Legaste said his office is likewise conducting a study about the diseases that hit the abaca plantations in the area for proper intervention.
Janet Iko, organizer and chair of the Lake Sebu Indigenous Women Weavers Association Inc., said the provincial government had allocated some P166,000 to their group for the establishment of the nursery and P50 for the purchase of treated abaca corms.
Iko said they earlier requested for the establishment of an abaca nursery in the area following the infestation of a viral disease that mainly attacks the abaca plant's fiber and eventually caused it to wilt has been destroying the abaca plantations.
Iko added the disease affected the abaca plantations in barangays Klubi, Lamdalag and Lamkadi, which covers some 506 hectares.
"At least 70 percent of our plantations were hit by the disease. Right now we're planning to replace all the damaged plants through our nursery," Iko said.
T'nalak, a fine and colorful fabric woven from krungon or abaca fiber, is one of the indigenous products of the province that is now enjoying increasing sales in both domestic and international markets.
(October 3, 2005 issue)
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