Four more banana growers eye shipment to US

At least four more banana growers are interested in exporting bananas to the United States after the country's successful maiden shipment of Cavendish bananas to the US last week, the Philippine Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) said.

"We are expecting other companies to export bananas to the US and four companies have expressed interest," executive director Stephen Antig told GMA News Online.

These four companies include the Dizon Group, Nader & Ebrahim S/O Hassan Phils., Inc., Lapanday Foods Corporation and Tagum Agricultural Development Co., Inc. of Anflo Group of Companies.

Antig said "everyone is interested" in the US, which is an untapped market for Philippine bananas.

"We'll see what the demand in the US will be. We're waiting for feedback. For now, the bananas are still in the holding facilities to undergo ripening process," he said, noting that it will take a couple more days before the products are delivered to neighboring states.

The Philippines is the first Asian exporter of bananas to the US after the arrival of 7,047 metric tons of Bukidnon Cavendish in Los Angeles on September 9.

The bananas, exported by Dole Philippines to Dole Food Company Inc., will be marketed in the US under the Sweetio brand.

The bananas were shipped from the Mindanao International Container Terminal in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last Aug. 20.

Antig said the US has only been served by Latin American countries for its banana demands but "there has been a growing interest for Philippine bananas."

Earlier, Agriculture Attaché Dr. Josyline Javelosa said Philippine bananas are among the best in the world and there is opportunity to bring unique and special banana varieties like lakatan and latundan to the US.

In December 2012, Cavendish growers were forced to call off the maiden shipment to US due to the damage to banana plantations in Mindanao caused by Typhoon Pablo.

Banana production in 2012 slightly grew by 0.66 percent to 9.226 metric tons from 9.165 MT in 2011.

"The primary reason of the delay was due to the shortage of supply due to Typhoon Pablo. Supply was severely affected," Antig said.

He added that in early 2013, the re-scheduled shipment to US was again delayed as they had to serve other markets first, noting that the US shipment is "still experimental in the stage."

Among the Philippines' top export countries for bananas are Japan, China, Korea and some Middle Eastern countries due to proximity.

"Our biggest concerns for shipping bananas are it is highly perishable and the distance to the export country," Antig said.

"Now, we're looking at the feasibility of it [the US market]. We have to see if the losses can be discounted," he added.

The shipment – the first of some 3,000 metric tons the US hopes to import from the Philippines in 2013 – came nearly eight years after Manila first asked for access to the American market. — BM, GMA News