Funds sought for abaca industry dev’t

The Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) is seeking budgetary support for its P755-million, 10-year development program for the abaca industry.

FIDA Administrator Cecilia Gloria Soriano said the funds will be used to eradicate diseases affecting abaca, develop the genetically modified variety and mechanize farms and the abaca-stripping process.

The program projects to bring back abaca production to about 80,000 metric tons (MT) which was the average production during the 1980s. Last year, abaca production slid to just 62,000 MT because of various problems in production.

"Our program’s objective is to maintain the country’s position as the world’s biggest producer of abaca," which brings to the country foreign exchange earnings of about $80 million annually.

Indigenous to the Philippines, the production of abaca accounts for 85 percent of world supply, while the rest is supplied by Indonesia, Ecuador and other countries.

The program will replant new seedlings in 22,518 hectares that will be subjected to disease eradication.

In order to propagate seedlings, government will establish four laboratories to enable fast propagation of good abaca varieties through tissue culture.

On the other hand, genetically modified abaca will adopt tools for abaca transformation systems that will combine high-yield potential, excellent fiber quality traits and virus resistance.

For the preparation of raw abaca fiber, 46 spindle-stripping centers will be established in 10 major abaca-producing provinces that will be run by farmer groups.

Also, the DA will conduct disease mapping in all barangays to aid the sector in disease eradication and tap farmers to conduct disease prevention by extracting affected plants and controlling disease transmission through soil transfer, quarantine of affected soil and restriction of human entry into such areas.