Production of three major fruit crops -banana, calamansi and mango- declined in the first quarter while output of pineapple, the fourth major crop, rose, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In its major fruit crops quarterly bulletin, the PSA said that banana output fell 2.4% year on year to 2.06 million tons in the first quarter. The Davao Region accounted for 36.7% or 757,261 million tons of the banana crop, followed by Northern Mindanao at 25.4% or 524,728 million tons, and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City) at 12.4% or 256,560 million tons. The Cavendish banana was the leading variety at 1.16 million million tons, equivalent to 56.2% of total banana production, followed by the saba variety at 25.2% or 519,829 million tons, and the lakatan variety at 9.1% or 187,485 million tons. Production of calamansi — a native lime — fell 10.9% year on year to 13,311 million tons. The top producer of calamansi was CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon), accounting for 18.1% or 2,412 million tons, followed by Central Luzon at 15.3% or 2,034 million tons, and Davao Region at 12.4% or 1,646 million tons. Mango production fell 0.9% year on year to 94,068 million tons. The Ilocos Region was the top producer, accounting for 51.7% or 48,600 million tons, followed by Central Luzon with 19.5% or 18,302 million tons, and Western Visayas at 6.5% or 6,131 million tons. Source - https://www.freshplaza.com