The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday the Philippines would be able to produce more high-value commercial crops (HVCC) like bananas, mangoes and vegetables this year despite the dry spell.

In a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap, the DA’s national program coordinator of the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA)-HVCC program Dr. Rodel Maghirang said the HVCC sector is expected to hit or even surpass its growth targets this year, especially if timely and adequate intervention measures are implemented.

Maghirang estimates that the DA would need to shell out some P186 million to help ensure that the targets would be met or surpassed.

For bananas, the target is to grow production by almost 8 percent to 7.3 million metric tons (MMT) in 2007 from 6.8 MMT last year.

Maghirang noted that if intervention measures are in place, banana production may even grow by 8.42 percent to 7.37 MMT.

The DA official said these intervention measures, which would require funding of P150 million, include the integration of the cardava supply of bananas for Metro Manila; the construction and repair  of additional farm-to-market roads and irrigation facilities; new training for growers; organic fertilization in small farms; and setting up of packing houses to reduce postharvest losses.

Mango production, on the other hand, is projected to grow by 7.1 percent this year to 984,135 MT from 918,877 MT in 2006, but its expansion rate could shoot up to 12.49 percent to 1.033 M MT with proper interventions in place.

Maghirang said the GMA-HVCC program would need additional funding of P19.8 million to boost off-season production in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Western Visayas, and to train growers on good agricultural practices, bagging, processing and phytosanitary measures and protocols required in export markets like the United States and China.

For pineapples, Maghirang said the DA expects production to reach 1.925 MMT in 2007, up by 5 percent from 1.834 MMT in 2006.

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The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday the Philippines would be able to produce more high-value commercial crops (HVCC) like bananas, mangoes and vegetables this year despite the dry spell.

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