‘Dispute with China to slash PH banana exports by half’

MANILA, Philippines – Banana is popular and preferred by most people due to its high potassium content. This is why the fruit has become a money-maker for Filipino farmers who export it to various countries worldwide.

But geopolitics appears to be playing a big role in slashing the earnings of Filipino farmers from banana exports.

Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters’ Association Executive Director Stephen Antig, in an interview, said a 50% reduction in the country’s banana exports could be one of the negative outcomes of the ongoing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines this year.  

“It’s not a question of quality, this is becoming political. I don’t think things will normalize if the territorial dispute is not resolved,” Antig said.

Farmers now have to contend with lower earnings as Antig said they have slashed their banana production by at least 40%.

Quarantine quandary

Antig said that if last year the country was able to ship 70 million boxes of bananas to various countries, exporters would be lucky to send 35 million boxes this year given the row between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal.

PBGEA said China is the country’s third-largest market for bananas. The recent rejection of banana shipments purportedly due to quality issues hurt local producers.

“I’m sure that no matter what kind of sanitary and phytosanitary measures we implement, we cannot assure that our bananas will be 100% pest-free. The best strategy is to fumigate, which China does not allow,” Antig said.

China, however, countered that its quarantine of the Philippine fruit is part of efforts to safeguard its citizens’ health, and is in line with the World Trade Organization’s rules and standards.

The Philippine government also acknowledged that it can no longer be complacent when it comes to quality control of farm exports.

Antig said the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry have already taken steps to meet standards such as the upgrading of packing facilities. – Rappler.com