Dole Philippines Inc. is eyeing vast lands in Negros Occidental as potential pineapple and banana plantations.
Former governor Rafael Coscolluela, Capitol consultant on investment and promotions, trade and export development, and inter-agency coordination, said yesterday that Dole Philippines is looking for potential areas for its plantations in the province because Mindanao, whose weather used to be ideal for its plantations, has now become the pathway of typhoons.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. as also confirmed Thursday that the company already has a pilot banana plantation in Himamaylan City.
Coscolluela said that aside from Himamaylan, Dole is eyeing another plantation in Murcia just outside the area where the Negros First Ranch is located.
He noted, however, that the problem of Dole is finding vast lands of 200 to 300 hectares for its banana and pineapple plantations because most of the lands in the province are already covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
