• Production of abaca fibers in April to June 2018 slightly decreased by 0.1 percent, from 18.84 thousand metric tons in the second quarter of last year to 18.82 thousand metric tons of the same quarter of this year.  This was attributed to:

 

  o less bearing hills harvested as newly planted suckers not yet harvestable in Bicol Region;

  o less harvest due to mosaic and bunchy top disease in Eastern Visayas; and

  o lesser demand from handicraft processors in Western Visayas.

 

• Area planted to abaca during the first semester of 2018 went down to 131.3 thousand hectares from 132.18 thousand hectares in 2017 or a decrease of 0.7 percent.  This can be due to the clearing of bearing hills and lands were shifted to sweet corn in Northern Mindanao.

 

• The highest production was recorded in Bicol Region at 36.1 percent, followed by Eastern Visayas with 19.8 percent.  Production in Caraga and Davao Region comprised 12.2 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively.