5. Key Commodity Performance - National Agricultural and Fishery ...

5.5 BANANA
Production, Area and Yield
5.5.1 The country grows many varieties of banana. The major cultivars consist
of Cavendish (mainly for the export market), and native varieties like lakatan,
latundan, bungulan and señorita (table bananas) and saba/cardava (processing
type which is made into banana chips, among others). The available production
data for bananas, however, is not disaggregated according to variety.
Nonetheless, the export volume for fresh bananas (primarily Cavendish) is a
good indicator of Cavendish production.
5.5.2 Production (all varieties) expanded by 3.8% per year from 3.8 million tons
in 1993 to 4.4 million tons in 1997. Output dropped by 6.8% in 1998 due to
adverse weather conditions but bounced back by 11.3% in 1999. From 1999-
2004, growth averaged 4.3% annually. Output stood at 5.6 million tons in 2004.
Figure 5.5.1. BANANA: Volume of Production and Area Planted, 1993-2004
Production ('000 tons)
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
-
Source: BAS
Volume Area
93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04
5.5.3 Production performed relatively better in 1999-2004 than in 1993-1998.
This could be attributed to more favorable weather conditions, good crop
maintenance, additional bearing plants, and area expansions especially for
Cavendish in Mindanao. Increases in the number of bearing hills were also
noted in Ilocos Region and the provinces of Romblon and Mindoro Oriental in
Luzon but these are mainly for native varieties.
500
400
300
200
100
-
Area ('000 ha)
5- 32