THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said that it is looking for additional funding to support banana production, which continues to be impacted by plant diseases.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said that the DA is seeking the support of Congress to obtain the funding.
“That would definitely help. That’s part of the proposal that we will give,” Mr. Laurel told reporters.
The banana industry has continued to deal with plant diseases like the Fusarium wilt or Panama disease, as well as Black Sigatoka.
He added that smallholder farmers have found it difficult to deal with the plant diseases, prompting about half to stop producing. He said small farms account for about 40% of the industry.
According to the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, only 1,000 hectares out of the 89,000 hectares of land available for banana cultivation continued to be operational.
Fusarium wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease that blocks the banana plant’s vascular system and deprives it of minerals, nutrients, and moisture. Affected plants turn yellow and die.
The Tropical Race 4 (TR4) strain of fusarium wilt was first detected in Davao City in 2009 and continues to threaten the Cavendish banana, the main export variety.
Black Sigatoka is also a fungal disease that affects banana leaves, causing them to turn black and die.
On the other hand, he said corporate plantations have been able to cope with the fungal diseases.
“They have protocols in case of infestation. There are certain things that they do, like cutting immediately, to treating the soil, replanting, and adding tea tree oil to prevent the disease,” Mr. Laurel added.
He said smallhold farmers could receive training in disease containment from the DA’s High Value Crop office.
“We have to train the smallholder farmers, and they can apply the techniques of the corporate farmers to return to the industry,” he added.
The Philippines has recently fallen to fourth place among the top banana exporters, as the industry continues to deal with TR4, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
According to preliminary data, exports of Philippine bananas dropped to 2.28 million metric tons in 2024. — Adrian H. Halili