The Department of Agriculture (DA) is crafting a long-term program to effectively control (Panama disease), the fruit’s major problem in the country.
DA Secretary William Dar said the disease is caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum that enters the banana plant’s roots and colonizes the xylem vessels, blocking the flow of water and nutrients which can cause the wilting and death of the crop.
“We will strongly collaborate with all banana farmers, big and small and local chief executives to find a long-term and sustainable solution to solve the Panama disease and at the same time increase the exports of fresh bananas and other by-products,” Dar said.
The roadmap will be prepared by the High Value Crops Development Program, Agricultural Credit and Policy Council and the Bureau of Plant Industry in cooperation with Filipino banana expert Dr. Agustin Molina, formerly of the Bioversity International.
A stakeholders’ meeting will be held to set up measures for stricter phytosanitary measures to manage, control and contain the disease.
Foot baths and tire dips will be set up in farms that are infested with the diseases.
A training program will also be conducted to inform farmers on plant health and the propagation of disease-resistant banana varieties.
An international conference in October will gather global experts to discuss strategies to prevent and control the disease as well as resolve other problems caused by lack of viable lands, impact of climate change, shift in market conditions and emergence of new competitors.
In 2015, about 15,000 hectares out of 84,000 hectares planted to Cavendish banana were affected by Panama disease.
Dar said fresh banana is still the country’s major farm export.
He cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority which showed exports of the fruit stood at $1.77 billion from January to November 2019 and $1.38 billion in 2018, making bananas the top farm export.
Preliminary data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, is estimating that Philippines’ gross export of banana could have reached 3.95 million metric tons (MT) in 2019, roughly 20 percent of the entire banana exports globally which is expected at 20.08 million MT.
The country’s full year 2019 production of bananas is expected to grow 16 percent from 2018’s 3.39 million MT.
The Philippines is Asia’s number one exporter of the fruit and second to Ecuador in the global scale.
