Signing of EO creating national council eyed

THE country's banana players expressed confidence that the drafted Executive Order (EO) creating the National Banana Industry Development Council will be signed Friday, October 7, by President Rodrigo Duterte during the second day of the National Banana Congress 2016 at the SMX Convention Center, Lanang, Davao City.

Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) told reporters Thursday at the sidelines of the Congress' opening ceremony that the main objective is to ink the EO seeking the establishment of the council today by the President.

"Apart from the EO, we will also present a resolution reestablishing the Banana Research Institute here in Davao City and to lobby the fast tracking of the APTC Food terminal in Toril," he said.

The crafting of EO, Antig said, is a joint effort of the Philippine Export Confederation (Philexport), PBGEA, Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association, Inc. (MBFEA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Agriculture (DA), among other concerned agencies.

Antig added that after the EO is signed, the next step will be filing a bill to institutionalize the council. He shared that the filing of bill is backed by Davao del Norte Second District Representative Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo, Jr. and even the Davao del Norte First District Representative and House Speaker, himself, Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

PhilExport-Davao President, Ferdinand Marañon, who acts as chair of this year’s Banana Congress said, the council will spearhead the overall development of the industry and on how the sector will face pressing issues besetting the billion-peso strong banana industry.

He said under the council, a proposed banana research center will be established in Davao Region to advance the interest of the small banana players which comprised some 60 percent of the industry.

The research center is seen to help the small farmers in technology assistance as only big players have research centers on their own.

Meanwhile, the industry players have summed up eight challenges that need to be addressed to sustain development and progress in the billion-strong banana industry.

Marañon enumerated these as the following: (1) pests and disease problem highlighted by the dreaded Fussarium or what is popularly called Panama Disease; (2) revolutionary taxation and extortion; (3) increased competition from other Asian Countries who are well supported by their governments; (4) competition by South American Banana Exporters to the Philippines Traditional markets: Japan, Korea and China; (5) importing countries becoming more stringent on their quality standard on minimum residue levels and other standards; (6) new regulations and impositions being promulgated by different LGUs; (7) unstable supply of saba/cardaba variety to meet both the domestic consumption and food processors requirements; and (8) insufficient supply of lacatan/latundan banana to meet domestic demand as shown by its high prices in major markets in Metro Manila and Cebu.

“But in spite of these very serious challenges, there are positive windows of opportunities that the banana industry players can explore in order to grow and prosper. All stakeholders should dialogue, stay focused and be united, unlty is our by word,” Marañon said in his speech Thursday.

Antig, in a previous interview, said there is no other perfect time to establish the council but now as more countries in Asia and South America are developing their banana industries and slowly entering the Philippines’ biggest export markets like China.

Vietnam, for instance, is overtaking the Philippine banana industry in terms of land area. As of this year, Vietnam’s land area devoted to bananas is at 126,000 hectares, much larger than the country’s 85,000 hectares.

"Unless we shape up, there will come a time that we will no longer become the biggest exporter of bananas in Southeast Asia," Antig said.

Federation of Banana Cooperatives chief executive officer Rene Dalayon also said a comprehensive and unified roadmap for the industry is needed in order to guide the players in a sustainable path.

Some 600 delegates, banana growers from all over the country are expected to convene for the congress.

The biennial congress is centered on the theme: "New Frontiers for Inclusive Economic Growth."

The event will be hosted by Philexport and supported by the DA, DTI, and the Mindanao Development Authority. The three-day event will include plenary session, panel discussions, agency and commodity exhibits and educational exhibits.

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