Fruits output up 2.6% in Q1

MANILA, Philippines -  Production of the country’s major fruit crops improved in the first quarter of 2017, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Data from the PSA showed banana production inched up 2.6 percent to 2.1 million metric tons (MT).

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

The Davao region remains the top banana producer with 777,000 MT, accounting for close to 40 percent share of aggregate production during the period.

Cavendish variety comprised 56 percent of total production for the quarter. Lakatan and Saba varieties accounted for 26 percent and nine percent, respectively.

Pineapple production grew four percent to 613,530 MT, mainly on the increase in corporate farms, better yield and bigger fruits produced following recovery from the effects of dry spell the previous quarters.

Northern Mindanao registered the largest production at 340,070 MT representing 55 percent of national output.

Meanwhile, production of mango decreased eight percent to 107,830 MT amid incidence of capsid bug and cecid fly in Zambales that resulted in poor quality of fruits and premature fruit drops.

The Ilocos region produced 60,000 MT, comprising 56 percent of total mango production. Central Luzon and Western Visayas came next with 18 percent and six percent, respectively.

Carabao mango made up 82 percent of the country’s total mango production.

Calamansi production also went down 4.4 percent to 14,990 MT due to a decrease in the number of bearing trees and lower yield following the effect of fruit flies and the typhoons toward the end of 2016.

Top producer Mimaropa contributed 17 percent of total production at 2,548 MT, followed by CALABARZON and Central Luzon.