TACLOBAN CITY – Despite the prevalence of rival abaca diseases in certain parts of the region, the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) regional office here remains optimistic that a bright future still awaits the abaca industry in Eastern Visayas.
Jeffrey Espeña, acting FIDA regional director, said they continue to implement the disease eradication program especially in the province of Southern Leyte and in some parts of the region as part of their expansion program.
Carlos Dado, head of FIDA’s extension services unit, told Leyte Samar Daily Express in a phone interview that their office is targeting to open about 2,010 hectares of new abaca areas within this year.
He said this year’s target is about 8 percent higher compared to their accomplishment last year under the expansion program that reached a total of 1,849.95 hectares. As of December last year, Eastern Visayas region has a total abaca area of 44,099.051 hectares.
However, Dado said that as of April this year FIDA was already able to accomplish about 23.5 percent of its target for the whole year under the expansion program.
He said about 473.24 hectares of agricultural lands have now been added to the existing total abaca areas in the whole region.
The largest accomplishment was noted in the province of Leyte where some 117.13 hectares were newly opened, adding to its 15,892.220 existing abaca areas. Leyte has yet to open additional 202.87 hectares to complete its target of 320 hectares expansion within this year.
Dado said Samar province was also able to open 103.25 hectares as new abaca areas, Northern Samar with 88.60 has, Eastern Samar with 82.42 has, Biliran with 73.60 has and Southern Leyte with a measly 8.25 has.
Dado explained that the low accomplishment of Southern Leyte province is mainly because they are now focusing their efforts more on the disease eradication rather than expansion.
But he said expansion project particularly on Panaon Island (not disease infected) might push through soon with the help of Plan International. He said many parts of the region still remains unaffected by the disease and they still prove to be good areas for abaca plantation as well as source of abaca planting materials like the town of Villaba in Leyte.
