DA to put up banana packing facilities in Davao

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture, in partnership with small banana growers and exporters mostly based in Davao region, will put up common packing facilities that comply with required export standards.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the DA, in tandem with the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association (MBFEA), will initially put up two banana packing facility at Kinnamon and Casig-an, both in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, worth P3.1 million each.

The DA chief visited the prospective sites last June 20, accompanied by MBFEA officers, led by its president Romeo Garcia, chairman, and DA officials.

Alcala said the amount would come from President Aquino’s Social Fund which allotted P50M to construct new packing facilities and upgrade existing ones to enable small banana farmers to comply with international sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS).

He said the DA, through the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), is currently inspecting small banana packing facilities in the Davao region, and would subsequently accredit those that meet required standards.

Alcala urged the members of the MBFEA to form themselves into clusters so they could be served by common or central accredited packing facility. He made the call during a consultation with small and multinational banana growers and exporters, along with Davao local government officials, led by Vice Governor Victorio Suaybaguio Jr., in Tagum City.