Singapore eyed for Philippine bananas

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is eyeing the export of bananas to Singapore to help local banana farmers affected by the stricter entry requirements imposed by China, which allegedly found pests in the fruits from the Philippines.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte yesterday said the Department of Agriculture is looking at Singapore and other foreign markets for the bananas of Mindanao growers.

Manila had earlier encountered diplomatic and phytosanitary problems with Beijing over Philippine banana exports.

Banana growers said they had lost at least P1.44 billion as a result of the Chinese restrictions.

Valte, however, said problems with Beijing had nothing to do with the territorial row over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

“It’s always been phytosanitary. If you track the progress of the story, we received one query even before the issue in Bajo de Masinloc happened,” she said.

The government had earlier said that it was working on an assistance package to help local banana farmers affected by the trade row with China.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said President Aquino met with banana growers last Thursday along with heads of concerned government agencies dealing with the banana issue.

“The exports to China account for 30 percent of our market. Now, the long-term position is we have to broaden our markets. The short-term is we are providing assistance to the banana growers,” he said.

“We are going to identify who the banana growers are. We are still looking at ways to provide assistance – cash for work, financial assistance and assistance to the packaging houses of the bananas,” Lacierda added.

The President asked his economic team and concerned government agencies to come up with a definitive package assistance plan for banana growers.

The Philippines is one of the world’s top banana exporters with much of the fruits being grown in Mindanao. Its major markets include Japan, South Korea, China and New Zealand.

In 2010, the total export earnings for fresh Cavendish bananas amounted to $720 million.

China is the country’s second biggest export market for bananas next to Japan.

Records show that as of February this year, Philippine banana exports to China accounted for 19 percent of the total export during the first two months of this year.

Banana feeds?

The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is now providing skills training to turn the Philippine bananas rejected by China into agricultural feeds.

TESDA director general Joel Villanueva said bananas that failed to make it to China’s market could be easily manufactured as agricultural feeds.

“Rotting bananas need not go to waste. We just have to tap the skills of our workers and the right technology to create an opportunity out of this event,” he said.

Tapping the manufacture of agricultural feeds, he said, is one option that banana producers can venture into to guarantee that the fruit could be turned into profit.

Villanueva said workers would undergo training on the complete process of making feeds from bananas, using available technology.

He said he has instructed TESDA offices in Mindanao to gather data needed to develop an alternative market for the country’s banana growers amid the dispute with China.

The TESDA chief said banana feeds are processed through natural drying using multi-purpose dryers.

“TESDA is taking a proactive position and is now simultaneously gathering the relevant data needed in preparation for introducing an alternative market for the country’s huge banana produce,” Villanueva said. – With Mayen Jaymalin