The Philippines produces about 3.5 metric tons of bananas (est. value U.S. 700 million in 2004) and yearly exports more than US$ 200 million worth of bananas.
The Philippines is the fifth largest exporter of bananas in the world after India, Ecuador, Brazil and China (2002 figures).
This is made possible because of the favorable climate in the Philippines and 382,491 hectares or half of the Philippines' land area planted with bananas.
Banana can be more profitable than rice, corn and other agricultural crops if given proper culture and inputs for production.
This was proven by Winston Adier, Aborlan Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, in his comparative cost and return analysis of banana, rice and corn crops grown under Aborlan town condition for a three- year production period.
Within a three-year production of banana, rice and corn, Adier, the husband of Aborlan Mayor Celsa Adier, said that banana ranks first in total net income of P121,870.00 compared to rice (P20, 047.00) and corn (P5,505.00), respectively.
He said the total expenses incurred in the production of bananas was only about 23.83 percent (P38, 130.00) as compared to rice with 72.50 percent (P52,852.30) and corn 84.11 percent (P29,145.00).
Adier insists that banana is most productive, even without inputs such as fertilizers and insecticides.
source: Philippine News Agency
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