Philippines:Fruitproductionontherise

Bananaproductioninthesecondquarterofthisyeargrewby1.4percent,oranestimated2.303millionmetrictons(MMT),an
improvementfromthe2.272MMTfromthesameperiodlastyear,accordingtotherecentreportofthePhilippineStatistics
AuthoritysBureauofAgricultureStatistics(PSABAS).
AccordingtoBAS,productionoftheCavendishbananavarietyincreasedby3percentfromthe2013outputof1.065million
metrictons(MMT),whileLacatanproductionregisteredanincreaseof2.5percent,whileSabaoutputwentdownby0.01percent.
Davaoregionrecordedthehighestproductionat0.884MMT,or38.4percentshare,tothetotalbananaoutputofthecountry,
followedbyNorthernMindanao,with0.389MMT,or16.7percentshare,andSoccsksargenwith0.298MMT,or12.9percent.
Forthefirstsixmonthsofthisyear,bananaproductionwas4.356MMT,1.6percenthigherthanthe4.287MMToutputinthe
sameperiodof2013.
InJunethisyear,theBureauofPlantIndustry(BPI)saidexportsofPhilippinebananatoUSterritories,suchasGuam,Northern
MarianaIslandsandHawaiicanbeaccomplishedsoonovertheweekend,citingongoingnegotiationsasindication.Once
approved,exportstoUSterritorieswilldefinitelyleadtoanincreaseinthecountrysrevenueand,therefore,boostourbanana
industry,theBPIsaid.
Mangoproductionduringtheperiodwasestimatedat630,769metrictons(MT),about12.9percenthigher,comparedwiththe
sameperiodoflastyearsoutputof558,682MT.
Productionforthereportingquarterwas15.9percentofthefiveyearannualaverageproduction.
Areaplantedwithmangoincreasedslightlyby0.2percentto186,765hectaresfrom186,417hectareslastyear,theBASnoted,
addingthatthenumberofbearingtreeswentupby8.2percentto9,359,688treesfromlastyears8,654,123trees.
Earlythisyear,theDepartmentofAgriculture(DA)announcedthatthedeclarationofthePhilippinesasaareafreeofmango
pulpandseedweevilbytheUSgovernmentthroughtheAnimalandPlantHealthInspectionServiceonFebruary8,2013,has
helpedthecountrytosecurearareprivilegetosourcemangofromanyofitsprovinces,saveforPalawan,forexport[to]the
USA.
TheDAalsosaidtheSpecialCommodityofUnderstandingfortheImportationtoAustraliaoffreshmangofruitfromthe
Philippines,signedinJuly9lastyear,willfurtherencourageothercountriestolookformangoescomingfromthecountry.
MangoesfromGuimarasandSamalIslands,aswellasDavaodelSur,enteredtheAustralianmarketonJune8,2013,withsix
shipmentsfromJune8toJuly10,2013toMelbourneandAdelaide,totalling4.76MT,equivalenttoatotalvalueof$14,587.
Pineappleproductionforthesecondquarterofthisyearalsoimproved,with648,777MTofthefruitgrown,about1.1percent
higherthanthe641,721MTfromthesameperiodlastyear.
TheBASsaidproductionforthereportingperiodrepresented5.7percentofthefiveyearannualaverageproduction.
Forthefirsthalfoftheyear,pineappleproductiontotalledto1.221MMT,3.2percenthigherthanthe1.183MMTinsameperiod
lastyear.Duringthefirsthalfof2014,theBASsaid,areaplantedwithpineappleexpandedby1.8percent,from59,610hectares
in2013to60,681hectaresthisyear.
Source:businessmirror.com.ph
Publicationdate:9/1/2014
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