“We're quite lucky in that we were not badly hit by the last typhoon,” said Stephen Antig, executive director of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association. The wrath of Typhoon Haiyan largely spared Mindanao's banana production. The region is known for its banana production, so Antig said it was good for the industry that the typhoon's effects weren't significant.
“Certain parts of Mindanao were hit, but fortunately, these areas were not major banana-producing areas,” said Antig. “There has been some damage, but it's been negligible.” He added that the banana industry has been resilient the past several years, even after last year's Typhoon Bopha caused more damage than this year's typhoon. While Typhoon Bopha affected 20 percent of Mindanao's banana production, Antig noted that exporters continued to ship their fruit without interruption throughout the ordeal. As for the country's other crops, however, Antig believes they may not have fared as well.
“Considering that the areas that were hit the hardest largely had rice and coconut, I would say those are the crops that have been most affected,” said Antig.