By BEVERLY C. PAOYON
ALABEL, Sarangani (July 6, 2013) – A multi-million investment on growing class “A” Cavendish bananas in Sarangani would soon supply the demands of Asian and Middle East markets.
These were the projected markets that RP Bahrain Harvest, Inc. (RPBH), a joint venture between AMA Group of Companies and NEH Group of Companies, disclosed during the project’s groundbreaking Thursday (July 4).
An 85-hectare plantation at barangay Domolok of the capital town Alabel would start the project by end of the quarter this year.
Land development would immediately take-off as soon as the irrigation facility will be shipped from Israel within the next two weeks.
RPBH would initially put up roughly P85 million for the project. From 85 hectares today, it plans to expand to around 500 hectares.
The project, worked out by then Governor Migs Dominguez for almost two years, is believed by Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon to help draw more investors “as we are opening the province to big investments.”
Banana, a top dollar earner in the country, is a highly suitable crop in Sarangani, said Ambassador Amable R. Aguiluz V, President Aquino’s Special Envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Aguiluz, who is also RPBH president, considers the project “as a viable contribution to the government’s effort to encourage investments for agriculture” where majority of the country’s population belong. This accounts for about 5.9 million farm households depending on agriculture as source of income, he said.
“Prospects in the domestic and foreign markets are promising as demands for fresh and processed products are increasing,” Aguiluz said.
He pointed out that the Philippines ranks third largest in the world in terms of production area for banana which accounted for 415,000 hectares or about 8.5 percent of the total world area.
In Sarangani, around 118,697 hectares are reportedly potential for banana.
Davao region is known as the banana plantation capital of the Philippines with production reaching to 4.3 million metric tons or 76 percent of the total Philippine production.
Aguiluz bared the Domolok project is envisioned “not only to increase the farmer’s income but also to equip our farmer partners with the use of scientific means of production and marketing thru the use of modern technology.”
In 2012, the Department of Agriculture allocated a P50-million fund to assist various infra projects in Mindanao and for the techno-training needs of farmers to ensure standards of export markets were met. For more news and updates, please visit the <a href= http://www.sarangani.gov.ph/ > Province of Sarangani< /a>. (Beverly C. Paoyon/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)
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