The country’s abaca output in the first five months of the year rose by 4.3 percent to 32,725.28 metric tons (MT), from last year’s 31,363.67 MT, data from the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFida) showed.
PhilFida Executive Director Kennedy T. Costales said the figures indicate that the Philippines is on track to surpass this year the record-high abaca output of 77,389.10 MT posted in 2008.
Costales said, however, that the 2019 output may not breach 80,000 MT, as the pace of growth slowed in May. He noted that the 4.3-percent year-on-year hike during the month was slower than the 9.2 percent recorded in April.
