Palace orders measures to defend banana industry’s competitive position

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., has ordered action to defend the banana industry’s global position and safeguard farmers incomes, the Palace said on Thursday.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has also requested funding to contain pests and diseases afflicting banana farms, particularly those run by smallholder growers, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said at a briefing.

She did not provide details on the President’s instructions.

“There is also work being done on the issue of tariffs in Japan because the tariffs are quite high; during the summer, they are 8%, and during the winter, 18%,” she added.

The Philippines is the world’s fourth-largest banana exporter in 2024, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It trails Ecuador, Guatemala and Colombia.

Officials are also pushing to expand production of the Cardaba (saba) variety for export to Australia, the US, the Middle East, and other destinations, while promoting development of value-added products like steamed and frozen bananas and banana chips.

Bananas are the country’s most economically important fruit crop, dominated by the Cavendish variety, followed by Cardaba and Lakatan.

Cardaba is mainly processed into chips for export, while Lakatan is largely consumed fresh on the domestic market. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana