Banned for doing the safe way

Banned for doing the safe way

Aerial spraying in Davao city is initially banned. Due to this, Lapanday has closed its Mandug banana plantation within the city. More than 150 hectares of a previously viable and productive banana farm has been lost due to an ordinance that was enacted rather impulsively..

These banana planters are deprived of their business and income due to unfounded allegations and despite managing their business the safe way.

Dr. Eufemio Tan Rasco, Jr., author of “The Unfolding Gene Revolution” recognized as the NAST “Outstanding Book of the Year 2008,” said during a forum on science-based agriculture conducted in January at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City that the most cost-effective solution to the sigatoka problem was aerial spraying.

Global Positioning Systems-controlled mechanisms are now employed in all banana plantation spray runs since it reduces the volume of fungicide used. GPS allows no room for pilot error that may cause drift or off-target spraying. The fungicides are sprayed on banana plants to prevent a fungus called “sigatoka” from spreading. This fungus attacks banana leaves and causes premature ripening and freckles on the fruits. With premature ripening and freckles, bananas cannot pass export quality control.

Dr. Rasco stressed it was funny that the ban was imposed on the solution to the problem besetting the banana industry.

This initial ban unjustly deprives poor banana farmers of their only source of income due to the unfounded cause of so-called environmentalist groups who can not even provide the planters of an alternative income; who call for a ban and after its approval, leave the farmers hungry, pockets-empty and in essence suffer from a dim-witted stand.