China lets more Philippine bananas in

MANILA, Philippines – More shipments of Philippine bananas were allowed to pass the ports of China, easing the concerns of local growers who have been suffering losses due to the impounding of the fruit.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said over a hundred containers of Philippine banana exports have been allowed to enter China since Sunday, May 20, a month after they were banned for allegedly carrying pests.

“Secretary (Proceso) Alcala had already reported to the President [that] 170 total containers were allowed to pass since Sunday,” she said.

Valte said this is “good news” since bananas are the Philippines’ second top agricultural commodity export next to coconuts, and China is the Philippines’ second biggest market for bananas after Japan.

The association of banana growers in the country earlier reported that they have incurred around a billion pesos worth of losses since Chinese officials placed their shipments in quarantine after finding scale insects in one shipment last March.

The quarantine was later extended to Philippine pineapples and papayas.

The fruits ban issue came up amid a tense stand-off between the two countries over a territorial dispute involving Scarborough Shoal.

But the government denied the ban was related to the dispute, noting it was really a “technical” issue.

Valte said the government imposed measures to resolve the trade impasse by sending inspectors to accompany the fruit shipments to China.

“Before the exports leave the country, [they will be double checked]. When they get there, there wil be a joint inspection to be conducted by both sides,” she said. – Rappler.com