AMID growing opposition against aerial spraying in banana plantations, the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) stood firm in its stand that the agricultural practice is not detrimental to health and environment.
Stephen Antig, PBGEA executive director, refuted all the claims of the environmental groups, saying all of the accusations are unsupported and baseless.
"These groups are fond of parroting claims which they cannot really support. The case is already in the Supreme Court, we want the truth to actually come out as far as this issue is concerned. We are hoping that this year, since it is election year, something will happen, let us just wait for the decision of the Supreme Court and let the court decide based on the merits of the case," he said.
His statement came after the Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Aerial Spraying (Maas), a non-government organization (NGO), heightened its stand last Monday in lobbying for the Supreme Court to fast-track the case in order for the Davao City Ordinance 0309-07 (An Ordinance Banning Aerial Spraying Practice in all Agricultural Entities in Davao City) to be fully implemented.
"The resolution of the case must be fast-tracked now, it's been seven years since we elevate the case to the Supreme Court in 2009, we badly need the resolution, because the practice of aerial spraying in some agricultural entities in Davao City is still ongoing which is detrimental to public health and environment," said Dagohoy Magaway, Maas president.
Antig said that the claim is a recycled issue, suspecting that the noise they are making is made for political candidates to ride on the issue especially now that election period already started.
Responding on Maas' claim that due to aerial spraying, significant drop in production of 60 percent is noted in some other agricultural crop planted near the plantations such as cacao and coconut, Antig said their planes are equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) to ensure that the pesticide would be only sprayed in a targeted banana plantation and prevent drift in nearby communities.
"Primarily, we do not want to put in a peril the health of the nearby communities and the environment and secondarily, we don't want to waste any of the input or chemical that we spray because it is very expensive, we cannot afford to waste money," Antig said.
On a per hectare basis, some P100,000 to P150,000 per year was allocated for the aerial spraying.
He said the mixture used in aerial spraying is composed of 85 percent water, 14 percent banana oil and one percent fungicide.
Aerial spraying is a universally practiced method in agriculture and is accepted by the World Trade Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
PBGEA, at present, has a total of 27-member big companies, including its subsidiaries.