WHILE THE AMERICANS believe that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Filipinos put their trust on the banana to keep them away from illnesses. Its vast health benefits is as important to the Philippine agricultural sector as the local banana industry is the third biggest in the world and the country's fifth largest export industry, according to the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA).The industry's growth continues this year as data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics show that banana production from July to September 2012 grew 2.36 per cent, from 2,269 thousand tonnes in 2011 to 2,322 thousand tonnes on the same quarter. Theincrease was attributed to additional area harvested in Northern Mindanao, Davao Region Central Mindanao and CARAGA regions. On the average, production for the quarter shared 21 per cent to the annual banana production duringf the past five years.
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