BANANA production in Davao Region has increased by 1.6 percent to 2,335.48 metric tons (MT) in 2016 from 2,299.32 MT in 2015, Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA).

PBGEA Executive Director Stephen Antig told SunStar Davao in an interview that the banana industry is still on its recovery stages after being greatly affected by the El Niño phenomenon that lasted from 2015 to 2016 and the ongoing infestation of the Panama disease, which affected around 15,000 hectares of banana plantations in Mindanao.

Antig said by the end of June this year they will be able to see whether or not the banana production in Mindanao has increased or decreased compared to June 2016.

“After a long drought, we are thankful that it has started to rain but we are also hoping that it wouldn’t be too much rain otherwise it would cause flooding in the plantations,” said Antig.

In line with the industry’s rehabilitation, Antig said farmers are taking different measures and actions to help remedy the situation.

Currently, there had been banana plantations that put up irrigation systems in preparation of any future droughts. Rehabilitation of farms that had been affected by different diseases had also started.

“We have developed varieties that are supposedly resistant to the so-called Panama disease. Many have started shifting to this variety, this Giant Cavendish tissue-culture variant (GCTCV-218). We cannot actually be certain that it is really the answer to our problems that ‘s why we continue with researches to develop other varieties that would be pest and disease resistant,” said Antig.

According to the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), as of 2016, Davao Region remains to be the top banana producer of the country contributing 38.4 percent of total production for 4th quarter 2016, or 897.72 MT. It was followed by Soccsksargen at 13.2 percent.