The participation of rural women is essential to the continued development of agriculture in the Philippines key growing area, Mindanao, a recent study found.
A Philippine's Department of Agriculture survey reported that rural women are increasingly involved in the region's agricultural economy, and now account for 41 per cent of those benefiting from a rural development initiative funded by the World Bank - the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP).
'Women are crucial to the growth, expansion and development of agriculture,' MRDP programme director Lealyn Ramos told the Manila Bulletin (MB.com).'Women are involved in various levels of agricultural economy. Aside from their participation in planting and caring of crops, they are also involved in processing and marketing, ensuring that indeed their products result in income.'
The MRDP, which is managed by the Community Fund for Agricultural Development, has invested PHP161m (US$3.73m) in a total of 681 agricultural projects, including banana production, according to MB.com.
'To date, the programme has surpassed our target of women beneficiaries, and we are expecting more women to be actively involved in agri-based enterprise,' Ms Ramos said.
Now in its second phase, the MRDP - a World Bank-funded poverty alleviation initiative - is implemented by the Philippine's Department of Agriculture, MB.com said.
Meanwhile, a banana-export company in Southern Mindanao told the Inquirer.net that organic banana production has risen in the region since it was first introduced two years ago.
A spokesman for the Tagum Development Corp's Tadeco banana plantation said organic banana acreage now accounted for 5 per cent of the company's 6,500ha plantations.
He added that the sustainable organic practices used on Tadeco's organic farms had helped boost yields.
'Banana harvests in these Tadeco farms climbed to 5,000 boxes per hectare from 4,000 boxes per hectare some 10 years ago,' he said.
