MANILA — The country’s July-September banana production improved this year, as it rose 3.45 percent to almost 2.40 million metric tons in 2017 from 2.30 million metric tons last year, according to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
“There were reports of additional bearing hills for the cavendish variety from expanded areas of plantation farms in Soccsksargen and Northern Mindanao,” PSA said.
The statistics agency said the rise in production was propped up by increases in area and number of bearing hills in the Davao region, due to the conversion of palay areas of plantation farms in Soccsksargen and Northern Mindanao.
“Bigger bunches were harvested in Soccsksargen due to sufficient rainfall,” PSA added.
The increase this year marked a turnaround for Philippine banana production.
PSA data showed production suffered a 1.88 percent decline in 2016 when output failed to exceed the country’s 2015 banana production of 2.35 million metric tons.
Growth in banana production this year helped the Philippine crops sub-sector expand by 5.18 percent during 2017’s third quarter, PSA noted.
The sub-sector accounted for almost 47 percent of the country’s total agricultural production then, PSA said.
“Agriculture grew by 2.32 percent in the third quarter of 2017,” PSA added. (PNA)