The government is looking for other markets for the country’s banana exports, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said over the weekend.
“I told them that DA [Department of Agriculture] will take [the] lead role in opening up new markets for them. We will help them because big players already have multinational connections,” Piñol said.
He said the Philipines would target the large market of Vladivostok, Russia.
“We will bring banana exporters on a trade fair there. That will be on September 2 to 3,” Piñol said. He said the Mindanao Banana Farmers and Exporters Association Inc. expressed interest to join the fair.
“Russia is such a big market and South America is far from them. We have an advantage because we are nearer,” Piñol said.
Big banana exporters earlier said they failed to capitalize on other markets because of shipping issues.
“We’ll have to look into these issues. I’m sure we will find a way to avoid damages in shipping. Our commitment to exporters is we will help them. This will also hold true for all other agricultural products of the Philippines which would be identified with export potentials,’ said Piñol.
Aside from banana, Piñol said the government would look into other markets for abaca.
“Abaca for example, we will really support the abaca industry and other products like coco water. I think it will find a good market in Europe,” Piñol said.
Meanwhile, DA lawyer Israelito Torreon said MBFEA had proposed the establishment of a trust fund for the banana industry to be sourced from fees.
DA quarantine officers and staff are allowed to charge their overtime fees, meal expenses, transportation expenses, plane fare and lodging expenses to clients requesting for overtime services.
The overtime services include inspections and visitations to banana packing houses.
Torreon noted the varying prices in so far as collection of fees are concerned.
“The order allows employees to charge overtime fees of P50 per hour, P75 per hour for meal expenses, P12 per hour for transportation expenses but the actual collection will reach as high as P750 to P2,500 per van and these are not receipted,” Torreon said.
He said small banana exporters were aware that the government charged certain fees.
“They are okay with it but we have to consult other players. They are amenable to paying P500 per van provided that this will be used a trust fund,” Torreon said.
“They are also proposing something which we can legally study. They want that all payments for these deliveries should be treated like a trust fund for the development of the banana industry,” he added.
Torreon said the funds should be used for the banana industry only.
“For example, Secretary Piñol is planning to create a national research council for banana because our bananas are afflicted with Panama disease and until now we don’t have any cure for this because nobody is actually looking at this problem. A fund can be created for the purpose but we are yet to look into the legality of the proposal of the banana players,” Torreon said.