Data showed that export revenues for abaca fiber and manufactures in the first 11 months of 2011 from $90.093 million in January to November 2010.

“There was a significant increase in demand, particularly for pulp and cordage. Pulp demand increased in all countries especially in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, China, Belgium, and Singapore,” said Fida Planning and Statistics Division officer-in-charge Mystic Pelayo.

Fida data showed that demand for pulp posted a 53.2-percent increase to 28,027.9 metric tons (MT) during the first 11 months of 2011 from 18,291.9 MT in the same period in 2010.

The highest pulp shipments for the 11-month period went to Germany with shipments reaching 8,939.2 MT; the United Kingdom, 7,114.5 MT; and Japan, 3,670 MT.

In terms of cordage, Fida said shipments to all countries increased by 8.9 percent to 6,981 MT in January to November 2011 from 6,412.5 MT in the same period in 2010.

Majority of the shipments went to the US which accounted for 4,394.9 MT of all cordage shipments followed by Singapore with 699.1 MT; and Canada, 173.5 MT.

Shipments of abaca fiber saw a contraction of 8.4 percent in January to November 2011. Shipments declined to 75,071.2 MT in 2011 from 81,941.4 MT in the same period in 2010.

Fida said that the largest shipments of abaca fiber went to UK, Japan, and China with shipments reaching 27,550 MT; 30,362 MT; and 15,308 MT in the January to November 2011 period, respectively.

Meanwhile, overall abaca production increased by 24.3 percent to 61,340.61 MT in 2011 from 49,338.925 MT in 2010. The biggest abaca producers in the country by region were Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Davao.

Data showed that abaca production in Bicol reached 22,823.94 MT or 37.2 percent of the total; Eastern Visayas, 14,199.775 MT or 23.1 percent of the total; and Davao, 6,988.5 MT or 11.4 percent of the total.

(Cai U. Ordinario)