Policy-making leaders to intervene over aerial spraying issue

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Regional policy leaders of this region are dipping its hands to revisit the issue of aerial spraying and look “objectively” into its effects in a bid to make a position that is not based on accusations from parties for nor against it.

Vicente T. Lao, RDC XI co-chair and Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) chair, said they are keen on reassessing the pros and cons of aerial spraying, this time with their participation as they have seen how several campaign groups have made their position based on sentiments.

“Earlier, MinBC did not intervene (on the issue). But evidences (surfaced) that some groups fabricated facts to advance their cause,” Lao told journalists recently at the Marco Polo Hotel.

The unresolved proposal to ban aerial spraying of fungicides has been identified by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) as one of the three major challenges to the region’s economic activity in 2010.

In 2009, the Social Development Committee of RDC recommended an independent body to conduct a comprehensive and interdisciplinary study on the effects of aerial spraying of fungicides. This, after an earlier study commissioned by Department of Health that revealed traces of insecticides that cause cancer were found in residents in Davao del Sur was found to be inconclusive.

“We also do not want to compromise public health, but we will not base our position on what is the sentiment of lobby groups,” said Lao.

The Pest Management Council of the Philippines (PMCP), meanwhile, endorses aerial spraying as the safest and most effective method for the control of the dreaded black sigatoka virus, the pest responsible for the decimation of the banana industry in Latin America in the early 1960s which caused the shift of global demand to Asia, principally the Philippines.

In Congress, there are three new separate bills introduced in Congress filed by Reps. Jonathan C. Yambao, Rufus B. Rodriguez and Akbayan partylist Rep. Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao that seeks to ban the said agricultural practice. This development prompted some banana growers in Mindanao to ask the Department of Agriculture to look into the mater that the cultural practice not be banned on baseless decisions.

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Samal mango growers eye Aussie market

DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- The emerging multi-billion mango industry of Island Garden City of Samal is being groomed by the Australian government to become a mango value chain and as a best practice demonstration and vehicle dissemination to other growers in the southern part of the country, it was learned yesterday.

To harmonize this, Pastor Lozada, general manager of the Samal Island Mango Growers Association (SIMAGA) said they are eyeing to penetrate the Australian market especially in months where their country could not supply its own mangoes.

Australia does not have a supply of the said fruit during March to September, said Lozada, who is pinning his motivation to export mangoes to the country on the said period.

Lozada’s group, through the collaboration with Davao del Norte provincial agricultural office, recently visited Australia for a research and development mango study tour.

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) said on its website that the Australian government has poured AU$60,000 to the project that would benefit Samal Island growers from June 15 to June 30 next year.

Part of the project would tour the growers in Queensland to study technologies used by Australian growers.

The mango industry in Samal Island has emerged into a mult-billion peso industry, with 7,000 hectares of high value fruit planted similar to the sweetest mangoes being produced in the island of Guimaras in the Western Visayas region, city administrator Cleto Gales, Jr. said.

“The island can produce about 10 million kilos of mango annually and could increase for up to 30 million kilos depending on the absorptive capacity of he market,” said Lozada.

SIMAGA has around 3,500 members that takes a cooperative approach to production, marketing and research. Samal mangoes are bought at P20 per kilo at the farm, but would be increased to P100 if their plan to penetrate the Australian market would be successful, said Lozada.

“Laborers could be pulled out from poverty if the price of mango would be multiplied and sold to a new foreign market,” he said.

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