DOLE-Philippines pledged to support the Pinatex leather production livelihood project of the Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol revealed in his Facebook page.
Attaching a photo showing Piñol with Dole senior vice president for worldwide agriculture and research Carlos Mandujano and other officials of Dole-Philippines during their meeting at the Matina Golf Club in Davao City last December 10, Piñol wrote that Dole-Philippines will be donating to poor families the pineapple leaves from their more than 18,000-hectare plantations all over Mindanao.
Pineapple leaves and pulp are usually left to rot in plantations, aside from the few that get to be converted to a high-end fabric.
“A Spanish scientist and designer, Dr. Carmen Hijosa, however, developed a technology which processes pineapple leaves into leather form which is now being used by shoe-makers, furniture designers and even expensive car manufacturers for seat covers,” Piñol wrote.
This “leather” is now called Pinatex and Dr. Hijosa's company is buying decorticated fibers from pineapple farmers. The week ebfore the meeting with the Dole executives, Dr. Hijosa visited the DA and met with Pinol to explore the possibility of buying more pineapple fibre from farmers.
Her company is now buying pineapple fibres from farmers in Labo, Camarines Norte, at P1 per kilo of raw leaves. This can go as high as P300 per kilo, Dr. Hijosa said, if it is sold as decorticated fiber. With the high demand for Pinatex, they need more leaves.
“Mandujano and I agreed to prepare a Memorandum of Agreement between Dole Philippines, the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Hijosa's company and the groups of poor people which I would like to be signed this month in the presence of President Duterte,” Piñol wrote.
Piñol intends the MOA to provide that Dole Philippines will be giving the pineapple leaves to farmers living around their plantations, DA will provide and technical support and decorticating machines, while Dr. Hijosa will buy the processed fibers.
“Hopefully, I will be able to convince the other companies involved in pineapple production - Sumifru and Del Monte - to follow the example of Dole Philippines,” Piñol said. The Philippines has a total of 44,000 hectares of pineapple farms.