DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) has proposed the planting of sorghum in banana farms that have been affected by Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease, to provide an alternative income to farmers and allow the land to recover.

MinDA Chair Emmanuel F. Piñol put forward the proposal to banana stakeholders last week in a forum held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

“Planting sorghum does not require you to overhaul the terrain of your fields so it will be easier to grow, and these are guaranteed to grow in your fields with less maintenance,” Mr. Piñol said in a statement after the meeting.

Reynaldo A. Araneta Jr. of Diamond Farms Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative expressed support for the plan, which he said would also benefit their members, none of whom have been affected by the infestation, as growing sorghum could help stop the spread of the soil-borne disease into other farms.

“At least we (fellow farmers) will have an alternative crop while we allow the farm to recover,” Mr. Araneta told BusinessWorld.

Areas that have been infected by Fusarium wilt cannot be replanted with banana unless the infestation is fully eliminated, or new cultivars that are resistant to the disease are introduced.

Mr. Piñol said sorghum commands a good price in the global market with potential buyers lined up, including one based in Thailand.

He also said an American company has offered to provide support through planting materials. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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