{"id":11997,"date":"2026-06-29T14:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T14:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fertiglobal.com\/?p=11997"},"modified":"2026-09-10T14:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T14:03:00","slug":"this-countrys-agricultural-production-will-surprise-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fertiglobal.com\/es\/2026\/06\/29\/this-countrys-agricultural-production-will-surprise-you\/","title":{"rendered":"This country’s agricultural production will surprise you"},"content":{"rendered":"
Philippines focus<\/h6>\n

This country’s agricultural production will surprise you<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Shall we talk about superlatives? That is to say, agricultural world records. Which countries spring to mind?<\/p>\n

Would it be Ukraine, known as the \u2018breadbasket\u2019 of Europe for its astonishing wheat yields? Brazil, perhaps, as the world\u2019s largest producer of commodities such as coffee and soybeans? Or we could settle on the United States as the world\u2019s largest exporter of agricultural products, and China as the country that produces the most food.<\/p>\n

Yet while all those records are valid and easily verified, there\u2019s another country that\u2019s worked itself \u2013 agriculturally \u2013 into the top echelons of world production, quietly and methodically.<\/p>\n

That country\u2019s the Philippines.<\/p>\n

Perched precariously across the Pacific Ocean\u2019s typhoon belt, the chain of 7,641 islands that comprises the Philippines probably wouldn\u2019t make it into many people\u2019s top-ranking agricultural producers.<\/p>\n

Yet as we saw in our last blog, it\u2019s a country in which FertiGlobal has keen interest \u2013 precisely because we\u2019ve already seen for ourselves its quiet determination to deliver agricultural success.<\/p>\n

The Philippines may not have the agricultural volume to help feed the world, but it certainly helps feed Asia Pacific. Agriculture ranks third in the Philippine economy, behind services and industry, and provides employment for one-fifth of the workforce.<\/p>\n

And that \u2018quiet determination\u2019? OK, the Philippines can\u2019t lay claim to a number one position in commodities like coffee or soybeans. But how about the banana, the world\u2019s most popular fruit? Number one exporter in Asia and number two worldwide. It\u2019s the world\u2019s second-biggest producer of coconuts, narrowly behind Indonesia.<\/p>\n

But its biggest claim to fame \u2013 if you can call it that, given its quiet approach \u2013 is the near-total monopoly it has on the production and export of a commodity that\u2019s found its way into applications around the world.<\/p>\n

Abac\u00e1: the planet\u2019s strongest fibre<\/strong><\/p>\n

Its name, Musa textilis, <\/em>provides the first clue. Botanist readers will identify this as part of the banana family. Native to the Philippines, it provides an exceptionally strong fibre that\u2019s been used for centuries not only for weaving durable cloth and fabric, but also for robust tasks such as maritime rope. This resilience has lent itself to more modern applications: bank notes, tea bags and as a petroleum-free material for the automobile industry. There\u2019s probably abac\u00e1 fibre near you right now.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Grown only in the Philippines, Ecuador and Costa Rica, it\u2019s Philippine abac\u00e1 that dominates the trade with 87 per cent of the global market. In the past \u2013 notably during the rapid growth of maritime trade and activity seen in the 19th<\/sup> century \u2013 abac\u00e1 regularly vied with sugar and tobacco as the Philippines\u2019 most valuable export crop. Today, it\u2019s worth around USD100m per year, covering around 140,000 hectares.<\/p>\n

Smallholders account for the majority of Philippine abac\u00e1 production. While harvesting \u2013 largely by hand \u2013 is labour-intensive, the crop itself is highly sustainable: a plantation can be viable for up to 30-40 years, providing robust soil erosion control on the volcanic slopes where it\u2019s commonly planted and lending itself to intercropping to aid biodiversity. Waste materials are often recycled into organic fertilisers.<\/p>\n

Going bananas<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you know about bananas, you\u2019ll know about TR4. You\u2019ll also know that Cavendish is the dominant banana variety grown for export.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And that TR4 and Cavendish are not compatible.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because TR4 \u2013 Fusarium Wilt Tropical Race 4, to give it its full name \u2013 is the worst enemy of Cavendish. It destroys the plant, slowly but surely, and then remains dormant in the soil, ready to infect any replacement plantings.<\/p>\n

The disease first hit the country in 2005, devastating the industry and shrinking production from 89,000ha to just 51,000. While the only \u2018cure\u2019 is to plant a resistant variety \u2013 difficult to produce, thanks to bananas\u2019 unique genetic composition \u2013 the country has also been fighting back by improving farm management practices to better manage the disease, and the deployment of technologies like AI, drones and remote satellite sensing to detect and contain outbreaks at an earlier stage.<\/p>\n

Another concerning disease is black sigatoka, brought on by the fungus\u00a0Mycosphaerella fijiensis.<\/em>\u00a0A foliar disease that causes\u00a0lesions, chlorosis and physical collapse of the leaf, black sigatoka ultimately kills the plant. Control can be achieved through chemical means, but demands an intense spraying programme of up to 50 applications per year \u2013 which can still result in a 50% drop in yield.<\/p>\n

While the answer to both TR4 and black sigatoka almost certainly lies in the development and commercialisation of new varieties, FertiGlobal has found that its EnNuVi Technology can lessen the impact of the latter disease.<\/p>\n

EnNuVi\u2019s patented nutrient-polyphenolic-molecule focuses on strengthening the plant\u2019s natural defence systems. Evidence points to a balanced combination of nutrients \u2013 putting the plant in good stead \u2013 fortifying the plant, reducing its susceptibility to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Better health promotes increased energy, charging its in-built mechanisms to ward off attack by pathogens such as\u00a0Mycosphaerella.<\/em>\u00a0When a plant resists infection, a farmer needs fewer fungicides.<\/p>\n

A trial in the Philippines proposed whether EnNuVi would increase the number of functional leaves on each banana plant, boosting overall plant health and energy levels to help it fight stress and attack from black sigatoka. Of all the EnNuVi products tested, Mantus provided the best result: a 44% increase in functional leaves, over the standard practice, after 45 days.<\/p>\n

Of course, EnNuVi products can\u2019t be seen as a direct replacement for a fungicide like mancozeb, because they have no fungicidal properties. But when applied at the correct time in the crop cycle, they can provide growers with an earlier alternative that may alleviate their need for fungicides at a later date.<\/p>\n

A Philippine Vision<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s developments like this that are fuelling FertiGlobal\u2019s enthusiasm for success in the Philippines. A philosophy of \u2018Robust Protection\u2019 (known locally as ProtekTibay) lies behind the communication and application of FertiGlobal products amongst Filipino farmers. Crop resilience is the name of the game \u2013 not just against disease, but also climate change. The country\u2019s location on that Pacific typhoon belt makes it highly vulnerable to extreme weather events; the intensifying El Ni\u00f1o suggests that the coming year will demand farmers use every tool in the toolbox.<\/p>\n

And during this year\u2019s \u2018FertiGlobal Summit\u2019, which brought together Team FertiGlobal Philippines in its entirety, this commitment to the market was demonstrated without doubt. Visiting farmers snapped up an entire inventory of FertiGlobal products after seeing for themselves the demonstration trials:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The effect of Turan<\/strong> and Nemes<\/strong> on chilli plants battling extreme heat waves and weather shifts<\/li>\n
  • Bacterial wilt in tobacco, devastating conventional crops while those treated with Fortitudo<\/strong>, Semia<\/strong> and Nemes<\/strong> continued to stand healthily<\/li>\n
  • The \u2018signature Technology\u2019 effect of Turan<\/strong>, Fortitudo<\/strong>, OK<\/strong> and Nemes<\/strong> on okra, enabling exports to Japan to meet the country\u2019s strict phytosanitary and quality standards<\/li>\n
  • Peak performance in the country\u2019s staple crop, rice, thanks to bioactivation with Semia<\/strong> and OK<\/strong> that kept leaves vibrant, lush and green through to harvest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    With deep commitment, appropriate products and convincing results \u2013 not to mention keeping them dancing towards wellness \u2013 FertiGlobal Philippines continues to empower local farmers to successful, sustainable and resilient production.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Philippines focus This country’s agricultural production will surprise you Shall we talk about superlatives? That is to say, agricultural world records. Which countries spring to mind? Would it be Ukraine, known as the \u2018breadbasket\u2019 of Europe for its astonishing wheat yields? Brazil, perhaps, as the world\u2019s largest producer of commodities such as coffee and soybeans? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[137,169,178,201,341,374,415],"yoast_head":"\nThis country's agricultural production will surprise you - FertiGlobal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"This country's agricultural production will surprise you. 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