Agriculture

A good number of fruits grown for local consumption have in recent years begun to earn income in foreign trade. Bananas are among the top ten agricultural exports. They are grown all over the Philippines, but most of the commercial planting for export is on Mindanao. Pineapple is the second major export fruit. The third is the mango, which accounted for about five percent of fruit and nut production in the late 1980s. Other crops are jackfruit, shaddock, durian, oranges, avocados, lanzones, papayas, and watermelon.

Since colonial times much emphasis has been placed on growing coconuts for export. The coconut palm is widely grown south of Manila. Most of the coconuts are processed to produce copra, which is dried coconut meat that also serves as a source of vegetable oil. Unfortunately, concern about dietary saturated fat in the developed nations has diminished the world demand for coconut oil. The Philippines still produces about one fourth of the world supply of coconuts and is an exporter of copra. About ten percent of the total value of national exports is derived from this product. This makes coconut the third major export after electronic products and garments. Locally, the coconut palm is a source of fiber, charcoal, thatching,
and wood.

The other main commercial crops are sugarcane, abaca, and tobacco. Sugar was once the second most important agricultural export, but it has been replaced by bananas. The sugar industry has experienced difficulties due to low world market prices and diminished demand. The western Visayan islands of Negros and Panay account for more than half the total area planted in sugarcane.

Most of the world supply of abaca (also called Manila hemp), a strong, high-quality fiber from a plant belonging to the banana family, originates in the Philippines. The production is concentrated on Mindanao, the eastern Visayans, and the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon. Since the introduction of synthetic fibers, the production of abaca has declined. It is no longer a significant export commodity.

Tobacco is not a major export item either. It is mostly processed domestically and has been the source for the world-renowned cigars manufactured in Manila. More recently the local tobacco industry has concentrated on making cigarettes. Most of the tobacco is grown in the northern Luzon areas of Ilocos and the Cagayan Valley.
 

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