The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) in Davao Region, has renewed its calls to the Philippine government to create a Banana Industry Development Council, to lead the growth of the banana sector in Mindanao.
Philexport-Davao president, Ferdinand Marañon, told Kapehan sa Dabaw Monday 26 September, that it is necessary to create such a body which “will do the planning and handle the overall development of the industry whose potential is big.”
The council will also plot which areas in Mindanao are ideal for the expansion of the banana farms and what specific variety of banana can be planted in order to address the supply gap in the market.
“It is going to be a big help for the banana industry,” he said.
He added that the creation of a banana council will also result in a research centre that will handle the experiments to treat the diseases of the crop, most especially the dreaded Fusarium Wilt or Panama disease.
