Rapid Market Appraisal for Banana
RAPID MARKET APPRAISAL FOR BANANA – REGION 6
Executive Summary
I. Introduction
Banana is the leading fruit grown in the Philippines and a consistent top dollar earner. It is the most widely consumed and the largest produced fruit in the world. The Philippine banana industry covers four major commercial varieties which includes saba as the cooking type banana and the table-type banana varieties such as Lakatan, Latundan and Cavendish. The local banana industry can be categorized into two major groups: (a) the multinationals and large local producers for export and (b) numerous small farms growing banana mainly for the local market. Fresh bananas are in 17th place of the exported products of the Philippines with a value of USD666,269.632. Most produce are Cavendish which are concentrated in Mindanao.
The banana industry, which has been dominated by the multi-national corporation (MNC) is one of the most profitable and best organized agricultural sub-sectors. As early as 1974, these MNCs together with their Filipino partners and sub-suppliers had formed the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association, Inc (PBGEA) to serve as the central coordinating agency for the development and the advancement of the banana export industry. This association serves as the self-regulatory forum for the players in the industry to guarantee compliance to international quality standards, continued competitiveness in the global market, commit and actively support research for technological advancements and to look after the welfare of all workers in export industry.
II. Methodology
This Rapid Market Appraisal was conducted on April 2018. Initial information about the industry was gathered from the official data source, Philippine Statistics Authority to get the production data for banana. Other information that were gathered from the internet are the commodity and product characteristics.
Other information that are being required were gathered through personal interviews with the agencies concerned such as HVCDP and DTI Region 6. The list of the banana processors in the region was gathered from these agencies. Aside from that, other information such as the trading practices were inquired.
III. Commodity/Product Characteristics
Banana is an edible fruit produced by several kinds of herbaceous, flowering plant in the genus Musa. The banana plant is a tree-like perennial herb . The word banana is a general term embracing a number of species or hybrids in the genus Musa of the family Musaceae. In Southeast Asia, the primary center of diversity of bananas, many cultivars have dual purposes: consumed either fresh or cooked.
Table below shows the different cultivars of banana available in the Philippines.
Table 1. Popular Banana Cultivars in the Philippines
VARIETY CHARACTERISTICS GENOTYPE HARVESTING SEASON
CAVENDISH
Cavendish is cultivated for international commerce. It is widely distributed all over the world with a long transport life if matured correctly. Cavendish bears good-quality fruit. AAA
6 to 8 months
LAKATAN
Fruits are longer and thicker-skinned than Latundan bananas. Lakatan are cultivated for their extraordinarily sweet and fine quality fruit. It is less hardy than the triploid cultivars.
AA
4 to 15 months
SABA/CARDABA
Classified as cooking bananas originating from the Philippines, Saba or Cardaba are distinctively square and angular. Fruits are 8-13 cm long and 2.5-5.5 cm in diameter. Fruits are white and starchy and are usually eaten cooked. Saba/Cardaba can also be eaten raw when ripe. Just like plantains, Saba are triploid hybrids but with an ABB genotype.
(Source: Wikipedia.org) ABB
15 to 16 months
LATUNDAN
Latundan are also dessert bananas. Smaller in size than the lakatan, they are exceptional flavourful fruit with sub-acid, apple-like taste. AAB
12 months
PLANTAIN
Also categorized as cooking bananas, they are eaten cooked and are staple foods in West Africa and Latin America. They are a major source of dietary carbohydrates for these regions. Plantains are pointed