Oil palm eyed as next mainstay crop in Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Officials are eyeing oil palm as the next possible mainstay crop particularly for the eastern coastal towns of Davao Oriental that were hit by Typhoon Pablo in  December  2012.

Gov. Corazon Malanyaon said that an  intensive study was conducted on what possible industries to engage in and crops to grow in the typhoon devastated east coast towns. The  oil palm industry emerged as the most feasible.

Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona, an expert on oil palm production and the newly appointed head secretary of the Provincial Oil Palm Development Council,  told farmers how lucrative the oil palm industry is in comparison to other agri-based industries.

Pamplona  explained to farmers they could already start to get yield within two and a half years,  with harvests as frequent as every 15 days, unlike coconut which takes six years to grow and  has an erratic price in the world market, thus, making it an unstable crop.

Pamplona likewise said that oil palm has a yield potential of over 60 tons of fresh fruit bunch per hectare. “And with the application of ‘high-yielding’ technologies, farmers could earn a much higher income than with most other crops,” he said, while suggesting intercropping strategies for the first few years to boost their income.

AGUMIL Philippines, which is based in Mindanaol  has  reportedly invested on oil palm production in the province with a  minimum requirement of 4,000 hectares  so that they could set up a processing plant.

Financing schemes were also presented to farmers by lending institutions, who are offering financing assistance to farmers or farmer organizations in the form of loans with very low interest rates and with a five-year grace period.

With all agriculture crops left in shambles after the unprecedented devastation brought about by Typhoon Pablo, Malanyaon hopes to push through with the project as it  shows a very high success rate. 

Considering Davao Oriental as one of the areas with high suitability to oil palm production, Malanyaon  believes that this could help alleviate the living standard of the local populace.