Philippine Farmers Eye To Supply Bananas In Japan

Philippine Farmers Eye To Supply Bananas In Japan

Philippine Farmers – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that President Duterte during his visit in Japan, an agreement will be signed for Philippine farmers to supply bananas in Japanese supermarket chain.

In a report by ABS-CBN, there is a 50,000-hectare banana plantation in Maguindanao, which can produce 20 million boxes of the fruit annually. Piñol said that this can produce about 100,000 jobs.

Maguindanao, which has been affected by the war in so many years, will be given the opportunity to be the supplier of bananas to Japan.

In the report, Japan is supporting the Philippines in its efforts to end the 40-year rebellion of the Muslim in the southern region of the Philippines.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) helped in the construction of a leadership academy in Maguindanao, wherein most of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members are located.

The report added that the deal with Japan will be the second boost to the Philippines regarding banana exports as China already lifted the ban before Duterte’s state visit to China.

According to Piñol, the Philippines can meet the demand of Japan despite cases of fusarium or “Panama disease”, which affects banana trees in many plantations in Mindanao.

The agriculture secretary said that the department will be putting up a P100-million laboratory in Davao City wherein farmers could get anti-fusarium chemicals.

Piñol said that the President would help lift the banana industry, as the Philippines is currently the top exporter of banana in Asia, wherein ninety percent of bananas in Asia are from the country, earning about $1.2 billion annually.

In the report, it is said that bananas are the second highest-earning agricultural export of the Philippines, next to coconut.

What do you of this partnership with Japan? Will the war in Maguindanao be eradicated after the deal was signed?