Published on 21 January 2013 [
manilatimes.net ]
Written by JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ
The
Philippines plans to open this year at least 1,000 hectares of new abaca
plantations in a bid to meet requirement for abaca fibers in the local and
foreign markets.
Cecilia
Gloria Soriano, Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) administrator, said
that the agency is currently collaborating with various local government units,
as well as farmers’ organizations in major abaca producing provinces, for the
establishment of abaca nurseries that will be used for the expansion program.
“Among the
areas identified for the opening of new plantations, includes Bicol, Visayas,
western and northern Mindanao, Davao, Caraga and Mimaropa region,” Soriano
said. Mimaropa is Region 4B.
FIDA will
also rehabilitate 600 hectares of old and unproductive, disease and
typhoon-damaged fibercrop areas in Bicol and western and eastern Visayas.
The FIDA
chief said that they would also provide technical assistance and vital inputs,
which includes high-yielding and disease-free abaca planting materials.
At present,
the agency is conducting different experiments for seed banking, tissue
culture, diagnostics and immunology, which are all strategically located
throughout the country.
Soriano said
that the implementation of abaca disease management project will be sustained
this year covering 15 municipalities with relatively high percentage disease incidence.
In 2012, the project covered nine municipalities.
“This
benefited their abaca farms and ensure the continuous supply of abaca fibers in
the local and foreign markets,” she said.
Soriano said
that the project this year targets to reduce the percentage disease incidence
in 5,000 hectares abaca farms to improve production.
As of October
2012, the value of abaca exports dropped by 25.1 percent to $91.35 million,
from $122.01 million in the first ten months of 2011 because of continued weak
demand from major markets abroad.
The value of
abaca pulp exports, which contributed 70.6 percent to total abaca exports, fell
by 28.6 percent to $64.53 million for the period January-October 2012 from
$90.37 million recorded during the same period the previous year.
“The decrease
is mainly caused by the decline in demand from our main markets,” FIDA said,
adding that the reduced demand was caused by the European crisis.
FIDA noted
that abaca exports have been declining since June last year, adding that the
European markets—which consists 61 percent of the total exports—have not been
able to recover from the economic slump.
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