President Rodrigo Duterte said the government will address the issues affecting the country’s banana industry, noting that lawless groups are hampering farming in Mindanao.
“The greatest challenge of the banana growers in the Philippines is really the law and order. If it’s not taxation of the communists, it’s extortion of the roving bandits in Mindanao,” Duterte said during the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Banana Congress held in Davao City last week.
The two-day Congress served as a venue for the participants to share information on best practices in pests and disease management, value chain development, technology updates, maximizing benefits from trade and tariff agreements and market standards compliance.
“It’s either we succeed on the (peace) talks or we don’t move at all. Because it is limited, there cannot be full use of the land until we have the peace that we all desire. Having said that, we are open to all issues that you (banana stakeholders) might want to, the government to intervene,” Duterte added.
Earlier, banana industry stakeholders urged the government to immediately address the insurgency issued in Mindanao.
Some of the industry stakeholders, particularly big banana plantations, have been seeking government support in fighting extortionists from the communist rebel group New Peoples Army who are demanding revolutionary taxes.
Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association executive director Stephen Antig earlier said Dole-Stanfilco, a multinational banana company operating in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, shut down its operations indefinitely after it was repeatedly by the NPA for refusing to pay revolutionary taxes.
The NPA burned 19 container trucks and has cost the company P20 million in losses since 2010.
Banana is one of the country’s top agricultural exports, second only to coconut oil. The Philippines is also the second largest banana exporter to the world, making the agricultural product a consistent top dollar earner.
Banana plantations in Mindanao cover about 83,000 hectares and are estimated to employ over 330,000 workers supporting about two million people.
The insurgency problem has affected almost all industries in Mindanao as most of the big industries in the countryside are located near rebel bases.
Banana stakeholders earlier warned the insurgency situation in Mindanao could stop further expansion of the plantations. It could worsen when industries start packing up and leaving for other countries seeking to grab the fruit export market in Asia and the Middle East from Mindanao exporters.