Sub-sector Assessment in ESIP Project

Farmers FGD Findings of Banana Subsector

(Iberan in Salcedo, San Isidro and Pingan in Gen Mac Arthur, Tagporo and Banahao in Guiuan, Gigoso in
Giporlos, San Pedro in Quinapondan, Bulusao in Lawaan)

1. Total number of households: 1594 HHs

2. Top three income earning activities: (a) vegetable and root crops production; (b) copra production; (c)
Banana production
3. Number of households involved in banana production: 715 HH
4. Number of households under the poverty threshold/line1 involved in banana production: 564 HHs
5. Total volume of produced banana: 790 T; average 98.75 T /brgy
6. Average land/area coverage per household under banana production: 0.484 Ha
7. Percentage of household income of the poor farmers coming from banana production: 19%
8. Major technologies the farmers are applying in banana production: (a) Application of organic fertilizer;
(b) Weeding; (c) Traditional pest management (burning of infected plant plants)
9. Production related technical knowledge and information providers: (a) Trainings conducted by NGOs and
Philippines Coconut Authority; (b) Fellow/experienced farmers
10. Major problems for the farmers in accessing production related technical knowledge and information: (a)
Lack of access to production related trainings; (b) Lack of information about good varieties of banana; (c)
Lack of access to capital for the cost of labor and fertilizers
11. Major inputs the farmers are buying for banana production: Fertilizers
12. Inputs providers/sellers: Nearest Agrivet Suppliers/Stores, farmers associations in the barangays
13. Major problems for the farmers in accessing quality inputs: (a) High cost of fertilizers; (b) Unavailability of
the nearest supplier of fertilizers
14. Total volume of sold banana: 23.86 T
15. Buyers of banana: (a) Consolidators; (b) Vendors in the public market; (c) Processors
16. Percentages of product volumes sold to each type of buyer: (a) Consolidators 52%, (b) Vendors in the
public market 34% and (c) Processors 14%
17. Profit margins of the farmers for each type of buyer: (a) Consolidators 30%, (b) Vendors 30% and (c)
Processors 40%
18. Major problems for the farmers in selling their products: Low price
19. Number of households potentially to be involved in banana production if the problems are solved: 1050
HHs
20. Volume of banana potentially to be produced if the problems are solved: 1417 T; average 177 T/brgy
21. Average land area per household potentially to be brought under banana cultivation if the problems are
solved: 1.5 Ha
22. Percentage of household income of the poor farmers coming from banana production potentially to be
increased if the problems are solved: Present 19% plus additional 20% (total 39%)
23. Potential investor(s) if the production and marketing of banana is increased at the farmers level: (a) Input
suppliers/stores; (b) Processors; (c) Consolidators
24. Important and valuable services for the farmers: (a) Production related trainings; (b) Availability of inputs
(fertilizers and quality suckers); (b) Access to agricultural loans for labor and fertilizer costs; (c) Stable
buyer with good price
25. Potential service providers for the farmers: (a) Municipal Agriculture Office; (b) Agrivet Stores/business;
(c) Processors; (d) Lending institutions or cooperatives

1
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, Special Release, Regional Statistical Services Office VIII, December 6, 2016, SN-SR-201611-26, the
Monthly poverty threshold for a family of five is PhP 9,536;
1