... As fruit output growth holds steady

MANILA, Philippines -  Production of the country’s major fruit crops continued to improve in the second quarter, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

Data from the PSA showed banana production inched up 2.6 percent to 2.27 million metric tons (MT).

“This is due to bigger bunches harvested following sufficient rainfall and increase in area harvested and number of bearing hills for Cavendish variety on corporate farms,” the PSA said.

The Davao region remains the top banana producer with 917,000 MT, accounting for 40 percent of aggregate production during the period.

Cavendish variety comprised 53 percent of the total production while  Saba and Lakatan varieties accounted for 28 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

Pineapple production inched up one percent to 675,200 MT, mainly due to increase in corporate farms resulting from previous area expansion and increased plantings due to reported higher returns on investments.

Northern Mindanao registered the largest production at 348,710 MT, representing 52 percent of national output.

Calamansi production also went up 2.5 percent to 18,490 MT due to more fruits harvested per tree following better fertlizer application, proper pruning, and sufficient rainfall.

Top producer Mimaropa contributed 36 percent of the total production, followed by Zamboanga Peninsula and Central Luzon.

Meanwhile, production of mango decreased 10 percent to 546,280 MT amid incidence of cecid fly in Pangasinan that resulted in decrease in yield and number of bearing trees.

The Ilocos region produced 133,000 MT, comprising 24 percent of total mango production.

Zamboanga Peninsula and Cagayan Valley came next with 12 percent and nine percent, respectively.

Carabao mango accounted for 82 percent of the country’s total mango production.