Abacadabra! Neither Filipino Males Need Magic Growing Abaca, Nor Females Weaving Products

I got this abacadabra intuition from reading the Department of Agriculture (DA) report titled “‘OneDA Family’ 2021 Yearender: DA To Further Prop Up Exports Of Banana, Pineapple, Other High-Value Crops” (DA.gov.ph). As a recently self-appointed communicator for village development 2021 (CoViD21), I am especially exultant that the DA pursued last year 2 major abaca PH initiatives, both in Catanduanes.

“Initiatives” implies that the DA started last year focusing on abaca as an added high-value crop (HVC). Meanwhile, what has DA to report on the other HVCs? ANN says (Author Not Named, 08 Jan 2022, DA.gov.ph):

Banana and pineapple rank as the country’s top agriculture exports, aside from coconut oil and other coconut products. In 2019 alone, Philippine banana exports reached $1.95 billion (B), $1.64 B in 2020, and roughly $920 million (M) (Jan-Oct) 2021, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority…. Exports of pineapple products (canned, juice, concentrates) amounted to more than $300 M (Jan-Oct).

I note that those figures are in American dollars ($), P50/1$. The DA report continues:

With such huge earnings, the (DA) aims to sustainably increase the production of the two major Philippine fruits, including other traditional and emerging high-value crops that have export potentials and thus could give farmers higher incomes.

CoViD21: Abaca is my favorite HVC that only now the DA, under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar, is giving very high budgetary assistance (vHBA). On this, Mr Dar says:

This year, the “OneDA Family” will continue to encourage more farmers to shift to crops that are more sturdy, resilient, and with ready market, thus more profitable. This in addition to providing them production support, postharvest facilities, and value-adding mechanisms to make Philippine farm and fishery products more globally competitive.

I see vHBA as not an empty hope because the DA is providing farmers the necessary loans and postharvest facilities, among other things, to help make their products “more globally competitive.”

After all, ANN says:

The Philippines does not only have a comparative advantage in abaca or “Manila hemp,” but has the distinction as the world’s largest and leading producer, supplying 85 percent of global requirements.

So, we have the native crop, we have the captive market!

That’s why I’m recommending vHBA for abaca, whose products can be home-produced: bags, fabrics, furniture (main image above).
(abaca flower image from Britannica.com)

So, this CoViD21 warrior writer expects for abaca from now on nothing short of like this:

In 2021, the (DA) provided farmers… the following support services and assistance, in terms of: production; extension, education and training; research and development…; agricultural machinery, equipment, and facilities; and irrigation equipment and systems.

More is called for:

(Mr Dar called on) “OneDA Family” agencies to be aggressive in forging partnerships with the private sector, fruit and vegetable industry associations, and farmers’ groups to expand and explore other potential export markets, and come up with more innovative and attractive packaging, and marketing strategies.

From now on, with vHBA implemented, I will have my eyes set on the visual beauty & enriching experiences with Musa textilisNee!@517