Region 8 abaca stakeholders to tackle low output issues

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 1 (PNA) – About 100 abaca farmers, traders and other stakeholders will gather next week at the Visayas State University in Baybay City, to tackle issues hounding abaca production in Eastern Visayas.

Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority OIC Executive Director Clarito Barron will lead the Regional Abaca Stakeholders Forum on Dec. 8, which aims to draft measures to address low productions.

“The discussions are centered on development projects to answer low productivity and possible steps to take to address low output,” said PhilFIDA Regional Director Wilardo Sinahon.

While everyone in the industry is aware that the abaca diseases are the major contributor to low productivity, local stakeholders can propose solutions to avert further output decline.

For more than a decade, abaca diseases continue to plague 24,495 hectares of farms in Eastern Visayas or more than half of the productive area in the region.

Consequently, the region suffered a significant output drop in the past three years despite efforts to wipe out the destructive diseases, according to PhilFIDA.

The region also suffered harvest loss from 17.61 million kilograms in 2011 to 9.9 million kilograms last year.

The abaca mosaic and bunchy-top diseases have been infesting farms in the towns of Sogod, Maasin City, Hinunangan, Bontoc and Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte; Lavezares, Victoria, Allen and Las Navas in Northern Samar; Dolores, Eastern Samar; Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan and Gandara, Samar.

In Leyte, badly-infested areas are Albuera, Burauen, Javier, Kananga, Mahaplag, Macarthur, Abuyog, Ormoc City, Hilongos, Hindang, Baybay City and Inopacan.

The diseases significantly cut the abaca productive areas from 46,360 hectares to only 35,000 hectares this year, according to Sinahon.

Abaca fibers are raw materials for the production of ropes, clothing, paper-based materials, filter cloths, tea and coffee bags, disposable fabrics, reinforcement fibers for plaster, lighter weight woven fabrics mostly of an artisanal type, and other handicrafts. (PNA)
FPV/SARWELL Q. MENIANO