Thursday, November 5, 2009
FOCUSED COMMODITY
The PAO ADN FITS Center is focused on one commodity- banana.Hence, it is identified as Banana FITS Center.
Banana (Musa sp.) is one of the most common and widely grown fruit crops in the Philippines. It is also one of the country's major dollar earner. It has a commanding presence. The fruit can be seen almost everywhere and anywhere. The banana is a staple food that provides an important nutritional boost to the rice-based diet of most Filipinos.It is the most popular fruit used as dessert. It is used in the manufacture of several food products like banana flour, chips, banana figs, wine, vinegar and catsup.
In the rural areas, the young leaves are pounded and applied to injuries to suppress bleeding. The leaves are also used widely as packing materials for fruits and vegetables in the market centers. Banana fiber is woven into rope, sack and mat.Sheets of paper and paper boards are also made from banana peel.Banana blossom is exported dried and usually added to meat recipes.
Banana is well adopted in areas with warm and humid climate. It thrives well in well-drained loamy soil that is rich in organic matter. It is susceptible to root rot when planted to clogged soil. Thus, typhoon belt areas do not make good plantation sites. This crop can be propagated through its rhizomes and suckers.
Currently, there are 80 distinct cultivars in the Philippines but only a few are utilized for cultivation."Lakatan", "latundan", "bungulan",and "saba" are planted for domestic production while cavendish is produced speficifically for export marke.Other cultivars such as "senorita" and "morado" are fast gaining acceptance in major importing countries because of their luxury fruyit appeal and because of changing consumer preferences.
Banana (Musa sp.) is one of the most common and widely grown fruit crops in the Philippines. It is also one of the country's major dollar earner. It has a commanding presence. The fruit can be seen almost everywhere and anywhere. The banana is a staple food that provides an important nutritional boost to the rice-based diet of most Filipinos.It is the most popular fruit used as dessert. It is used in the manufacture of several food products like banana flour, chips, banana figs, wine, vinegar and catsup.
In the rural areas, the young leaves are pounded and applied to injuries to suppress bleeding. The leaves are also used widely as packing materials for fruits and vegetables in the market centers. Banana fiber is woven into rope, sack and mat.Sheets of paper and paper boards are also made from banana peel.Banana blossom is exported dried and usually added to meat recipes.
Banana is well adopted in areas with warm and humid climate. It thrives well in well-drained loamy soil that is rich in organic matter. It is susceptible to root rot when planted to clogged soil. Thus, typhoon belt areas do not make good plantation sites. This crop can be propagated through its rhizomes and suckers.
Currently, there are 80 distinct cultivars in the Philippines but only a few are utilized for cultivation."Lakatan", "latundan", "bungulan",and "saba" are planted for domestic production while cavendish is produced speficifically for export marke.Other cultivars such as "senorita" and "morado" are fast gaining acceptance in major importing countries because of their luxury fruyit appeal and because of changing consumer preferences.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Maria H. Abastillas
FITS Manager
FITS Manager
Lucila L. Esdrelon Marilyn T. Lumontad
Information Service Specialist Technical Service Specialist
HISTORY/BACKGROUND OF BANANA FITS CENTER
The establishment of the center started with a series of dialogues between the Provincial Local Government Unit of Agusan del Norte through the Provincial Agriculturist Office and the Caraga Consortium for Agriculture, Forestry and Resources Research and Development(CCARRD) with secretariat based at NORMISIST Campus, Ampayon, Butuan City.
Driven by its goal of providing information and technology for the farmers, and after satisfying the minimum resource requirements as stipulated in the Techno Gabay Program, the PLGU of ADN through the PAO agreed to work hand in hand with the concerned agency to effectively implement the program. Likewise, provide the necessary resource to maintain the FITS center and sustain its effective use towards ensuring its intitutionalization.
The center was formally launched on November 21,2008. It was well attended by the municipal/city agriculturists, Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council(MAFC) chairmen and farmers representing the rural-based organizations from the different municipalities within the province.Also in attendance were the different provincial agency heads.
Mr. Roque Lexter P. Dolotina, provincial administrator; Ms. Maria H. Abastillas, Provincial Agriculturist and Dr. Rowena P. Varela, cosortium director of CCARRD graced the occasion. It was highlighted by a signing of Memorandum of Agreement between the two parties.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)