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A Study on the Production Methods of Conventionally-grown Pineapples in the

Philippines

Polomolok, South Cotabato, Philippines

February 2015

Magsasaka at Siyetipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura

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A Study on the Production Methods of Conventionally-grown Pineapples in the Philippines

I. INTRODUCTION

Pineapple is one of the most important crops in the Philippines. The country ranks second in the world, next to Costa Rica in terms of pineapple production with an estimated 70,000 hectares planted with the crop, which are mainly exported, contributing about 17% to the world supply (Baroña, 2005). Majority of the production is concentrated in Mindanao, with other provinces in Luzon close behind. However, 85% of the production is controlled by giant transnational corporations, led by Del Monte and Dole Philippines (Dolefil).

Fresh pineapples are mostly exported to Japan (taking up about 79%) and Korea (15%). The main markets for processed pineapple products are the US (68-75%), followed by Japan (8%), Canada (4%), while the Netherlands and Korea takes up about 3% (Digal, 2007).

Pineapple production uses extensive chemical inputs as plantation corporations want to ensure high yields and export-level quality of the fruits. The use of agricultural chemical inputs, which includes pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and others are prevalent in the Philippines. Of the total agricultural chemical consumption (including pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides and others), plantation crops (pineapples and bananas) consume about 27%, next only to rice, which is the staple crop of the country. (Dhang, 2012).

While there is national law promoting organic agriculture in the Philippines, the production for organic pineapple is sluggishly picking up. This is the same for other vegetables and fruits, particularly the high value or cash crops, as a municipal agriculture officer in one of the leading pineapple producing towns lamented. Farmers who have not yet been enlightened on the health and environmental impacts of organic agriculture have been afraid to venture into the chemical-free farming, as they fear for decrease in production and income. Government support also tips the scale towards chemical farming (despite the organic agriculture law). However, there are small-scale farmers who are planting pineapples in small plots of land that are for home or community consumption. Some medium-scale organic producers and cooperatives, particularly in Mindanao, have managed to export fresh pineapples to Japan and Korea. These farmers do not apply chemical pesticides and herbicides but manage the pineapple production through organic methods.

The increasing global awareness on the hazards of chemical inputs on both fresh and processed products, along with the burgeoning demand for organic and fair trade products have led many

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consumers groups to closely examine the manner of production of important food products such as fruits and vegetables. This study, therefore aims to look closely into the pineapples produced in the Philippines, particularly that of Dolefil and Dole Company, in the hope that consumers are further informed of the process that the pineapple goods in their local market have gone through.

Methodology

The methodologies used in the study were a combination of primary and secondary data-gathering. Primary data-gathering was made through focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews with 17 respondents, both men and women, who are former regular and casual workers, current regular and casual workers, and a contract grower.

The secondary data-gathering was made through desk research with materials including reports, journals and articles. An ocular inspection was likewise conducted at the cannery’s waste basin and plantation.

Scope and Limitations

There is a limitation on the availability of information on Dolefil’s chemicals usage. Workers and key informants were afraid that providing information might cost them their work. These fears are not without basis since there have been cases of work termination in the past, including workers who merely facilitated or helped foreign researchers.

No medical practitioner from the Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital (owned by Dole Philippines) was willing to be interviewed. A request for interview was denied. Likewise, previous queries from other independent organizations were reportedly turned down by the hospital management due to company policy of “confidentiality.” Obviously, practitioners and employees of the hospital are restricted from disclosing any information about medical cases, but they also equally fear a company backlash, including possible termination of service.

In the Philippines, there are no organic pineapples planted in large-scale. There are isolated family or subsistence organic pineapple production but for local market without the benefit of organic certification and prime price associated with organic. But even small scale farms geared for the market make use of chemical inputs for assured ‘quality’. For instance, chemical flower inducers are used to achieve synchronized maturity of fruits.

The currency used in discussing costs of production is in Philippine Pesos. The conversion rate of pesos to dollar to be used in this report is Php 44.50 (or Php 6.34 against SEK).

These limitations call for further research to further substantiate the findings of this study.

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II. DOLE PHILIPPINES

Dole Philippines Inc. (Dolefil), a subsidiary of Dole Company, Inc., has been acquired by Itochu Corp. of Japan when it bought Dole’s Worldwide Packaged Foods and Asia Fresh businesses in 2013. The company produces approximately 500,000 tons of pineapples every year, 15% of which are exported to Japan, with the remaining processed into various products amounting to almost 15 million boxes. Majority of the processed goods are exported (75% goes to the US market), while about 2% goes to the local market (Teruel, 2006). In April 2014, Dolefil declared a total area of 16,571 hectares (ha) (both base plantation and contract growers) in the provinces of South Cotabato and Sarangani. The company maintains a total of 9,363.56 ha (23,128 acres) of pineapple plantation in the towns of Polomolok and Tupi in South Cotabato, Soccsksargen region, Philippines.

Base plantations are the farms owned by the company while contract growers are farmers with one to three hectares of land planted with pineapple. These contract growers are given financial, technical, and market support. The company currently has 1,600 growers. Dolefil’s contract with growers is renewable every three years or after two harvest seasons (from the plant crop to the ratoon crop). The company requires farmers to present documents like land titles and real property tax, among others to qualify as contract grower. They are also made to sign a contract that strictly prohibits the growers to sell their produce to other companies or entities. Should this agreement be violated, the company reserves the right to terminate the contract and ban the growers.

Aside from its base plantations and contract growers, Dolefil also manages farm lots which the company rents from private individuals. EILER (2008) claims that about 200 hectares are self-financed by individual growers. Land rent is Php 32,000 per cropping cycle lasting 18 months. In more remote areas inhabited by indigenous people, the company is offering a measly Php 7,000 to Php 12,000 per ha per year.

Dolefil has five mixing stations where fertilizers and agrochemicals are mixed before being transported into the field for spraying or application and five mobile packing plants. The company also has a can manufacturing plant that produces two million cans per day, as well as corrugated box plant for its carton boxes (Cayon, 2014).

Dolefil’s cannery plants have 24 preparation lines with a capacity of 110 tons per hour, and produce an average of 85,000 standard cases of canned pineapples. Its processed pineapples consist of slices, chunks, tidbits, crushed and juice concentrates (Cayon, 2014). Dolefil also has a packing plant (named Station 1) for the export of fresh fruits.

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Workforce and Labor Issues

Dolefil employs 4,600 regular employees, with salaries ranging from Php 252 (minimum wage) to more than Php700 per day (or eight hours) depending on their length of service (Anonymous, 2014). The rest of its workforce of at least 9,800 are casuals who perform seasonal farm activities of planting, field maintenance, and harvesting. These are also called service providers organized under six different cooperatives. There are two types of cooperative workers, the regulars and relievers. The regulars are given priority to work, while relievers only get the chance to work if a regular is absent. These workers assemble daily in the office for a chance to work. Casuals do not have a fixed income as their work is either on a flat rate basis or per piece system (per ton, per box, or per acre). Even if the minimum wage set by the government for that region is Php 252 for agricultural plantation workers, harvesters are paid as low as Php 19 to Php 270 per day. Planters are paid Php 240 per day. Hand weeders are paid as low as Php 35 to Php 135 per day. Workers in the plantation are reported to have suffered from bad working conditions, lack of benefits, lack of job security and violation of labor rights such as forming and joining a union (EILER, 2008). Dolefil has figured in several controversies in the past with its treatment of workers and alleged violations of labor rights. In fact, Dolefil has been shortlisted for the Public Eye Global Award in 2008 due to its supposed labor violations and environmental impacts. An environmental investigative mission conducted in 2011 found that the plantation “greatly affected the watershed” in Mt. Matutum in South Cotabato, and caused flashfloods in the nearby towns. As cited by Balsa Mindanao in 2012,

“Dolefil's plantation contouring and diverting natural waterways caused land scouring that caused the loss of about 380,000 cubic meters of soil or close to 2.53 million hectares furrow slice. The hydrology of the region was also extensively altered with the deposition of the drainage lines and spring waters and artificial dissection of landscape because of gullying…. Water from the plantations was diverted to the trail resulting to land wasting and erosions which also ate up sizeable portions of the farms.” The expansion of monocultured pineapple plantation by Dolefil was said to be the cause of about 65% of flashfloods and erosions in the area.”

Workers are also greatly exposed to hazardous chemicals which have led to “reported cases of skin diseases, stomach ailments, and illnesses related to the reproductive system especially for female workers” (Teruel, 2005). Jose Teruel, president of the labor union in Dolefil, have also claimed that:

“Medical records from the Howard Hubbard Memorial Hospital owned by Dole Philippines in Polomolok, South Cotabato showed that last year, the top 10

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chronic illnesses of workers in the Dole Philippines were hypertension, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, gouty arthritis, hypercholesterolemia, hyperthyroidism, other cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary tuberculosis, osteoarthritis and menopause. Another common illness is kidney problem. I, for one, have undergone operation few years back due to kidney problem.”

This may be due to the inconsistent implementation and provision of safety gears and equipments. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, mouth cloth, boots, apron and hairnets should be provided every month, but instead these are only given once a year. Workers had to procure their own gear, or rely on old or used gears. A recent video documentary produced by Fairfood International shows that the grave conditions of the workers in pineapple plantations persists. While the video did not identify the company the workers are working for, laborers who were interviewed claim that they suffer severe headaches, blocked throats, blurry vision, itchy skin. Furthermore, some of the workers claimed that the plantations are still using Endosulfan which has already been banned in many countries. However in 2008, it was reported that Dole and Del Monte have committed to end the use of the deadly chemical, as they are the only two companies allowed to use Endosulfan in the country (Unknown, 2008).

Pineapple varieties

Dolefil currently grows in its base plantation two varieties of pineapple: the MG3 which is planted in a total of 16,481 acres (6,672.47 ha), and the F200 which is planted in a total of 6,647 acres (2,691.09 ha) in Polomolok and Tupi, South Cotabato.

The MG3 is Dolefil’s main product for the export of fresh fruits. It is sweet and its “eyes” are big. Its color is pure green and when ripe, its color turns dark yellow. The MG3 is said to have 50 percent acidity*. Its size ranges from four (jumbo) to 10 (smallest). Size four means only four fruits can be placed inside a standard box. On the other hand, size 10 means 10 fruits can be placed inside a standard box. Base plantations grow this variety.

The F200 variety has higher yield and it is grown for processed fruits. It is a bit sour and its “eyes” are small. Its color, including its leaves and crown, is a mixture of green and brown. When ripe, it turns light yellow in color. It is said to have 70 percent acidity. Managed/leased farms and contract growers grow this variety.

Dolefil is growing another variety, the Dole14 variety, in some 60 hectares land, but still in its

testing stage.

* - percent acidity is proxy measurement of sweetness: lower acidity means sweeter.

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III. PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Process Flow

The production stages are as follows:

Planting Material

Dolefil currently grows two varieties of pineapple for the market: the MG3 is grown and exported as fresh fruits, while the F200 is mainly for processed products. A third variety, the Dole14 variety meanwhile is being tested in some 60 hectares of land.

Pineapples are propagated through asexual vegetative methods from crowns or suckers (axilliary shoots from the base of the plants) of the old, harvested fruits. According to Bethge, ratooned fruits over time become smaller and less resistant. To address this, crowns are sorted according to sizes (Table 1). Mark Rieger of fruit-crops.com asserts that “the size of the planting material affects production; larger crowns/suckers give the highest yield and reduce time from planting to harvest.” Hence, crowns that weigh less than 100 grams are discarded.

Table 1: Crown size specification of two varieties of pineapple planted by Dole Philippines.

MG3 Size Weight (in grams)

F200 Size Weight (in grams)

Small 100-200 Small 150-200

Big +201 Medium +200-250

Large +250

For the F200, the first ratoon fields are entered with one round of sucker pruning and properly harvested to keep the healthy status of the planting materials and mother plants. Harvested suckers are hauled to the dipping station for fungicide (Aliette) treatment before planting it in the field. For the MG3, suckers and slips are harvested prior to degreening. Sucker harvesting rounds and timing schedule is strictly followed. Only suckers with a length of eight to 12 inches are good for harvesting. Those over 12 inches are chopped using bolos. Suckers are sorted then hauled into trucks and transported to the dipping station for fungicide treatment.

Land Preparation Planting Maintenance Harvesting Processing Marketing

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From the dipping station, fungicide-treated crowns are hauled in plant haul trucks for delivery in the designated field for planting. When crowns are available for retrieval from the newly harvested field (or packing plant and mobile packing plant in the case of MG3), only the healthy crowns or those free from butt rot or mechanical damage are collected. These crowns are treated with Aliette (fungicide). They are collected and hauled within four hours after sorting, and unloaded into piles in the planting field. Within eight hours after dumping, the materials are spread out of the piles to avoid rot infection.

Meanwhile, suckers are harvested, chopped and separated into specified sizes (Table 2) before

hauling.

Table2: Sucker/Slips specifications of pineapple varieties (both MG3 and F200)

planted by Dole Philippines.

Size Weight (in grams)

S1 150-250

S2 251-350

S3 351-450

S4 +451

When the suckers are left in the field, they are applied with fungicide in-field and arranged butt-up properly. They are later loaded into trucks by sizes for field distribution and planting. Stage1: Land Preparation

For the contract grower’s farm, land preparation takes about eight weeks (see Annex 3). The same goes with the managed farms. The area is first plowed at about one-meter deep (deep plough) using a Mouldboard tractor to loosen the soil. After six weeks and three days, it undergoes a first round of Harrow plowing. After two weeks, the second round of Harrow plowing is done. This is the last preparation before planting.

Mouldboard plowing is pegged at Php 4,500 per hectare while Harrow plowing is pegged at Php 1,500 per hectare. Since harrowing is done twice, the total land preparation cost is Php 7,500 per hectare. For the base plantations, excess plants and weeds are first chopped off using a bulldozer or chopping truck. After four t eoight weeks, the area undergoes the same process as that of the managed and grower’s farms, except that calcite and magnetite are applied to neutralize the soil acidity. Bed preparation through heavy equipment is also implemented.

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Chopping cost is estimated at Php 16,000 per hectare.

Stage2: Planting

Planters are provided with a planting rod and a basket for spreading the materials. Rows and spacing are measured and established by the planters using a string guide provided by the Dolefil’s Plant Department. Each planter lays the nylon cord with beads attached at pre-determined intervals along the length of the block. The usual interval is 10 inches between plants (see Image 1: Interval, top view and Image 2: Interval, side view) and 16 inches between beds. The 16-inch distance is intended as passageway for manual weeders, side-feeding (manual application of fertilizers) and harvesters.

Only the base plantations implement the two-row bed forms for the planting of MG3. Managed/leased farms and growers who grow F200 do not practice the two-row bed forms as the materials are directly planted on flat grounds and in single rows.

All piles of planting material in the field are spread across the block within eight hours after dumping to avoid butt rot. They are spread from the center of the block to the side row bed to ensure that no gaps will occur in the inner part of the blocks to be planted.

Above: Side view, 10-inch planting intervals Left: Top view, 10-inch planting intervals

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Planters are assigned with one cut at a time. Materials are planted in a quincunx arrangement and in a minimum depth of three to five inches in upright position. A quincunx is an arrangement of five points in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle. The depth of planting is ensured for proper rooting. No gaps must be left unplanted. Excess planting materials are removed from the blocks and piled in the roadside for the immediate collection and redistribution. Meanwhile, damaged and unhealthy planting materials are removed from the planted area to the disposal site.

The cooperative service provider requires 25 persons per gang for planting. Under the quota system, the labor is pegged at Php 4,000 to plant one hectare.1 About 30,000 materials are planted in a one-hectare farm.

Stage 3: Crop Maintenance

Crop maintenance involves manual and chemical weeding, insecticide application, fertilizer application, and forcing/ripening induction (ripening agent).

Hand/Manual Weeding

In the contract growing farms, seven hand weeding operation with a total of 130 man-days were conducted during the entire cropping cycle (Table 3). A man-day consists of eight hours. There is more hand weeding under contract growing scheme because this is cheaper than the use of herbicides. In contrast, Dolefil base plantation and managed/leased farms practice more chemical weed control because due to ease of application, thus they practice less manual weeding.

Workers must uproot (not slash or cut) the weeds from the soil, then carry it outside the blocks and pile in the block roads. Piling the weeds on top of the growing pineapple is strictly prohibited. It is insured that no weeds are left after the operation to ensure the quality and zero regrowth of the weeds.

1 Casuals do not have a fixed income as their work is either on a flat rate basis or per piece system (per ton, per

box, or per acre). This means that the 25 workers in the gang should be able to plant all 30,000 planting materials in a hectare before they can earn the Php 4000 (Php 160 each worker). This is true for all the planting stages (weeding, harvesting, packaging, etc.) The EILER 2008 report (A Harvest of Broken Promises) details all the labor abuses that Dole commits, including its dire impacts on women and child labor.

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Table 3: Hand weeding operations in pineapple under contract growing.*

*Based on the actual record of a grower, from land preparation to harvesting (20 months), per hectare.

Hand weeding is usually done once every 28 days (one period) and before any herbicide application which removes large and towering weeds. No weeding is done 56 days before harvest to avoid damage to the fruits.

The labor for hand weeding in the Cooperative is pegged at Php 135 per person/ day. But under the quota system, hand weeding is pegged at Php 800 per weeding time/ hectare. With a normal gang of 25 persons to do the job, this is translated into PhP 32/ pax/day under the quota system. All of these are way below the PhP 252 minimum wage specified by law.

Chemical Weeding

Hand weeding is complemented by chemical weeding three times under contract growing scheme. Hyvar, Karmex, and Ametryn are the herbicides commonly used in the pineapple plantations (Table 4). The toxicity and environmental effects of pesticides used in growing pineapple in Dolefil in the Philippines is presented in Appendix table 1. The correct mixture for herbicide (and pesticide) is ensured before loading it to the spraying tanks or containers for application to the designated area. Chemical sprayers must cover all blocks, walking through interspaces to kill any weeds. Lancers and nozzles are to be used correctly, avoiding the growing plants when spraying on the weeds.

2 As of writing, conversion rate is 1 USD= 44.50 PHP

Round Operation Age of plant (in weeks)

Cost (Php)

Cost (USD)2

First 11 weeks after planting the materials

11 675.00 15.17

Second 6 weeks and 1 day from first operation

17 2,835.00 63.70

Third 13 weeks and 2 days from second

operation

30 2,700.00 60.67

Fourth 12 weeks from third operation

42 3,645.00 81.91

Fifth 8 weeks and 2 days from fourth operation

50 3,105.00 69.77

Sixth 5 weeks and 3 days from fifth operation

55 1,755.00 39.43

Seventh 16 weeks and 2 days from sixth operation

71 2,835.00 63.70

TOTAL 17,550.00 394.35

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Table 4: Herbicide and insecticide application in pineapple under contract growing *

Herbicide/ Insecticide

Amount Operation Age of plant

(in weeks)

Cost (Php)

Cost (USD)

Hyvar +

Diazinon (first round)

11.35 kg +

1.75 liters

1 week and 2 days from planting

1 Php 4,866.17 109.35

Ametryn (second round)

10.62 kg 15 weeks from first round

16 1,623.32 36.47

Karmex (third round)

10.62 kg 8 weeks and 3 days after the second round

24 1,623.05 36.47

TOTAL Php 8,112.54 182.29 *Based on the actual record of a typical grower, from land preparation to harvesting (20 months), per hectare.

Herbicide application is more prevalent in the Dolefil base and managed farms because they have budget allocated to the operation. As a rule, herbicide spraying is done every month when weeds are growing fast (i.e. rainy season) or every two months when weeds are growing slow (dry season) (Table 5). In total, there can be nine to 12 times of herbicide application in one cropping cycle.

Table 5: Chemical weeding under Managed farms*

Herbicide/Insecticide Amount (per hectare)

Operation

Hyvar + Diazinon

10 kg + 3.6 li

3 days before planting

Diazinon 3.6 li 3 month after planting

Hyvar 10 kg Every month during rainy season; every 2 months during dry season until spraying of forcing agent

*As shared by a chemical handler; source claims that data from managed farms are generally the same as that of the base plantations.

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Water Management/Waste Management

The plantation in Polomolok and Tupi, South Cotabato is rainfed. However, rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, thus, irrigation system is not needed. Water wastes from the cannery go to its waste basin, which exits through a ditch (see Image 2) directly to the waterways (see Image 3). The waste basin is located at the back of the cannery, close to the residential area.

Image 1. The waste water basin at the back of the cannery.

Image 2. Water from the basin flows through the ditch.

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Image 3. Waste water from the ditch drains into a canal which is public waterways.

Chemical wastes from the mixing stations are collected in a spill pond. These are then sucked directly to tanks which are then loaded to the supply truck and disposed to the knockdown areas where the ratoon crops have just been harvested and are under preparation for the next plant crop.

Soil Fertility Management

Chemical fertilizer is applied eight times in contract growing farms with a total of two tons per

hectare per cropping cycle of 20 months (Table 6). Urea and magnesium sulfate are the

common fertilizer applied.

The rate of fertilizer application is double the amount in company managed/base farms,

totaling fourteen application times with a total of four tons for the entire cropping cycle (Table

7).

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Table 6: Fertilizer Application in Pineapple Under Contract Growing.*

Fertilizer Stage Number of application

Age of plant (in weeks)

Amount per Application

(kg/ha)

Total Fertilizer Applied (kg)

[Mixture: Urea (45-0-0) and Magnesium

sulfate (9.1%Mg; 14%

S04)

Growing 2 6, 10 177.3 354.6

-do- 3 17, 25, 33 354.61 1,063.83

-do- 2 39, 49 265.96 531.92

Urea (45-0-0) Fruiting (Forcing)

1 58 53.19 53.19

Total 2,003.54 *Based on the actual record of a grower, from land preparation to harvesting (20 months), per hectare.

Table 7: Fertilizer application under managed farms / base plantation within 18 months.*

Fertilizer Stage Number of application

Age of plant (in weeks)

Amount per Application

(kg/ha)

Total Fertilizer Applied (kg)

Urea (45-0-0) Growing 11 (3 days), 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52

337.50 3,712.50

Magnesium Sulfate (9.1%Mg;

14% S04)

-do- 11 -do- 25 275

Urea Fruiting (Forcing)

1

1

(2)

56

56

(56)

1 (1st round)

0.5 (2nd round)

1.5 in low elevation

1.5

3 days before harvesting

1 72 1 1

Total 4,001

*As shared by a chemical handler

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Pest and Disease Management

Diazinon is sprayed once or twice during the early stage of the pineapple plants mainly to

prevent mealybug (Pseudococcus brevipes and P. neobrevipes) infestation (Table 8). So far, in

the Philippines, no serious insect pest attacks pineapple.

Table 8: Types of Pest and Method of Prevention

Pest Conventional Method

Ants Diazinon

Aphids No data

Black bug -do-

Larvae Diazinon

Fruit flies No data

Mealy bug Diazinon

Rodents -do-

Termites -do-

The most common disease of pineapple in the Philippines is butt rot (caused by Pectobacterium

chrysanthemi) and this is controlled in the Dolefil plantation by dipping the planting materials in

Aliette solution, a systemic fungicide (Table 9).

Table 9: Types of Disease and Method of Prevention

Disease Conventional Method

Butt rot Before planting, materials (suckers and crowns) are dipped into a

fungicide (Aliette, systemic) solution

Heart rot/Pink disease No data

Rot -do-

Stage 4: Harvest

Ripening agents are applied to ensure good quality production (Table 10 and 11). To determine the maturity of the pineapples, Dolefil sends technicians or quality analysts to check the quality of the samples gathered in between forcing and harvesting. They are the ones who advise when the fruits are ready for harvesting. According to the Pineapple Production Guide, pineapples are declared ready for harvesting “when the eye shows a light pale green color.” The Bureau of Agricultural Research lists a description of the various stages of pineapples’ maturity which simply points to the green and yellow colors of the fruit.

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Table 10: Ripening agent applied under Contract Growing.*

Chemical Age of plant (in weeks)

Amount (liters/ha.)

Ethrel (forcing)

58 4.25 liters

*Based on the actual record of grower, per hectare.

Table 11: Ripening agent applied under managed farms / base plantations.*

Chemical Age of plant (in weeks)

Amount (liters/ha.)

Ethrel: 1. Forcing, 1st round 2. Forcing, 2nd round, 3 days after first round (at low elevation, same amount for two rounds) 3. three days before harvesting

56

72

4.2 3.6

(6)

4.2

Gibberellic Acid 64 996 grams *As shared by a chemical handler

Gibberellic Acid is used only in base plantations and managed farms. It costs Php 12,000 per kilo which would cover a hectare of land. To minimize cost, contract growers opt not to apply this on their farms.

Different harvesting operations are used for different product types: fresh fruits for the packing plant (Station 1), fresh fruits for the Mobile Packing Plants, processed fruits for the cannery, and processed fruits for the IQF (frozen/dried fruits).

The methods of harvesting are either manual (hand-pick or hand-load method) or mechanized (using the boom harvesters). For the handpick method, 18 harvesters per gang are required.3 Under the handpick method for canned fruits, harvesters gather the fruits first before the hauling truck is advised to pick up the produce. This is to insure lesser transportation cost. For the mechanized harvesting of fresh fruits and canned fruits, 18 and 15 people are required, respectively.

Fresh fruits, on the other hand, are directly loaded to the hauling trucks.

When using the boom trucks, harvesters place the fruits in the conveyor belt which collects the produce directly to the truck.

3 Depends on the target volume. In one of the interviews, an eight-hour work by a gang of harvesters would yield

20 trucks with a capacity of 4 tons each of pineapples.

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As a matter of policy, harvesters should have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including charcoal and rubberized gloves, long-sleeve clothing, hat for sun protection, raincoat, and proper shoes. As mentioned above, however, this safety practice is not often implemented.

Post-harvest handling

After the plant crop has been harvested, the application of fertilizer and pesticides continue for the ratoon crop. After the ratoon crops have been harvested, the area is knocked down, in preparation for another plant crop or new cropping period.

Stage 5: Processing

After harvesting, fruits are either sent to the mobile packing plant or Station 1 for packing as fresh fruits or delivered to the cannery for processing.

At the Mobile Packing Plant

Fruits are loaded and washed into the flotation tub or dipping pool (Table 12) to determine the floaters and sinkers. Fruits that float are ripe, while those that sink are considered not fully ripe and are for canning only. Floaters are loaded into the conveyor belt for packing. Meanwhile, sinkers are collected for canning. Some fruits are de-crowned after washing, depending on the order. Table 12: For the flotation tub, rinsing and polishing*

Element Amount (Dissolved in 2,400 liters

of H20)

Reason

Alum 1 kg To determine the sinkers and floaters

Chlorine 0.4 kg -do-

Calcium Chloride 20 kg -do-

Fruit wax 20 liters For polishing

*as shared by a chemical handler Every 30 minutes, a chemical tender checks the concentration (parts per million) and pH of the mixture. Fruits are loaded into the conveyor belt for rinsing, waxing and blow drying before they are loaded into the boxes. The boxes are assembled in a standby container van which also served as a cold room. These are then transferred (by palette) to the container vans for shipment.

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Packing Plant

From the harvesting area, the fruits are delivered into the Station 1 packing plant. The fruits are loaded into the bin. These are then transferred to the flotation tub (Table 13) to sort which are packable and not. Sinkers (or rejects) are collected for delivery to the cannery. Floaters are sorted and loaded into the product conveyor where they undergo rinsing, blow drying, polishing and another blow drying. At the end of the conveyor, workers arrange the fruits, according to sizes and shell color, in the packing table. Each export market has specific shell color demands.

The holding time of fruits from harvesting is only four hours. This means that within four hours, fresh fruits should already be packed into boxes. After loading into the box, the holding time is another four hours and fruits should be stored in the rapid cooler for shipment.

Table 13: Chemical composition of the flotation, rinsing and polishing tub.*

Element Amount

Quality Control Reason

Alum Chlorine

Chlorine

10g 1500mL

80g

>Maintain at 5ppm, 6.0-6.5 pH (morning) > Maintain at

30ppm, 6.0-6.5 pH (afternoon)

To determine the sinkers and floaters

Chlorine ½ bin / 3G (third generation facility)

Maintain at 50ppm, 6.0-6.5 pH

(afternoon)

Rinsing For Anti-molds

Fruit wax 200 li wax: 400 li water

> For MG3: Maintain at 3.0-4.0 BRIX > For F200: Maintain at 6.0-7.0 BRIX

For polishing, longer shelf life

Canning

The skin and core of the fruits are removed via the Ginaca machine.

The first end-cut (crown-end and butt-end) are collected and the juice is squeezed out which would be canned and marketed as concentrate (Table 14). The pulp and skin are collected and sold to Monterey farms for cow feeds. Meanwhile, cores are collected and squeezed out. Its juice would be canned and marketed as CPAJ (clarified pineapple juice).

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After passing through the Ginaca machine, workers (or trimmers) trim the “eyes” that were not fully removed. Fruits that are for Japan market are blanched / heat-treated before canning. Various parts of the pineapple fruit are processed into different products such as pineapple chunks, tidbits, sliced and crushed pineapples and even as part of instant fruit cocktail mix.

Table 14: Pineapple parts and Products

Part Product

First end cut (butt and crown) concentrate

Pulp and skin Cow feeds

Core CPAJ (clarified pineapple juice)

Blemished Trimmed for chunks

Second end cut Crushed

Table end Tidbits

Stage 6: Marketing

Dole Philippines produces more than 25 million cases of processed pineapples, consisting of slices, chunks, tidbits, crushed and juice concentrate, as well as 13 million boxes of fresh pineapples annually. Ninety five percent of Dole pineapples goes to North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia (Table 15). Fresh pineapples are also exported to South Korea, Japan, Middle East, and New Zealand, mainly consisting of the MG3 variety (Table 15). Meanwhile, the F200 variety is mainly used for processed canned pineapple products (solids, mixed fruits, beverages), but fresh fruits are also exported to China. Table 15: Market for Fresh Pineapples (Cayon, 2014). Country Variety

China (Guangzhou, Xiamen, Xinjiang)

F200

Japan MG3

Middle East (Jeddah, Qatar, Dubai, Bahrain, Lebanon, Iran)

-do-

New Zealand -do-

Russia -do-

Singapore -do-

South Korea -do-

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IV. COST AND RETURNS The costs and returns of producing pineapple in the Philippines under contract growing is presented in Table 16 (see attachment). The price of the pineapple product is at farmgate price. The total cost of production amounted to Php 124,777 per hectare with a net income of Php 84,530. Chemical fertilizer eats up 42 percent of the total expenditure of pineapple growing. Harvesting share in the cost of production is 18.2 percent, handweeding is 14 percent, and other labor (spraying, fertilizer application) is 13.2 percent. The cost of herbicide and insecticide is 6.5 percent while land preparation is 6 percent. The net income of PhP 84,530 per ha in pineapple contract growing over the growing period of 20 months can be translated into an income of PhP 4,226/month (US$ 95.00/month). It is obvious that small scale farmers (1-2 ha landholding) would have insufficient income in conventional pineapple production to support the family. Table 16. Cost and returns of producing one hectare of pineapple under contract growing in the Philippines.

Period: One cropping season (19-20 months)

Variety: F200

Date Particulars Cost (PhP) Cost (USD)

14-Apr-2012 Mouldboard plowing @ P4,500/ha 4,500.00 101.12

29-May-2012

Harrow plowing @ P1,500/ha

1,500.00

33.71

13-Jun-2012 Unloading of planting materials

354.60

7.97

14-Jun-2012 Harrow @ P1,500/ha

1,500.00

33.71

17-Jun-2012 Labor for Planting

4,149.00

93.24

26-Jun-2012 11.35 kg Hyvar + 1.75 Liters Diazinon 4,866.17

109.35 in 2200 liters of water

Labor for spraying

1,815.60

40.80

30-Jul-2012 175 kg fertilizer (1st application)

5,121.42 115.09

Labor for fertilizer application @ P300/ha

300.00

6.74

31-Aug-2012 175 kg fertilizer (2nd application)

5,083.44

114.23

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Labor for fertilizer application @ P300/ha 300.00 6.74

3-Sep-2012 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 675.00 15.17

16-Oct-2012 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 2,835.00 63.71

10-Oct-2012 Ametryn (10.6 kg) 1,623.31 36.48

Labor for spraying (2000 liters @ P170/200 liters) 1,700.00

38.20

350 kg fertilizer 3rd and 4th application) 8,846.81 198.80

Labor for fertilizer application @ P300/ha 600.00 13.48

8-Dec-2012 350 kg fertilizer 5th and 6th application) 8,731.80 196.22

Loading fertilizer 70.92 1.59

Labor for fertilizer application @ P300/ha 600.00 13.48

Karmex (10.6 kg) 1,623.05 36.47

Labor for spraying (2000 liters @ P170/200 liters) 1,700.00

38.20

18-Jan-2013 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 2,700.00 60.67

7-Feb-2013 275 kg fertilizer (7th and 8th appication) 6,699.57 150.55

labor for fertilizer application @P300/ha 600.00 13.48

19-Mar-2013 350 kg fertilizer (9th abd 10th application) 8,898.44 199.96

labor for fertilizer application @P300/ha 600.00 13.48

12-Apr-2013 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 3,645.00 81.91

29-May-2013 275 kg fertilizer (11th and 12th application) 6,860.70 154.17

labor for fertilizer application @P300/ha 600.00 13.48

6-Jun-2013 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 3,105.00 69.78

18-Jul-2013 Hand weeding @ P135/head/day 1,755.00 39.44

Chopping off leaves @ P500/ha 500.00 11.24

5-Aug-2013 50 kg urea, 4 liters Ethrel 2,141.13 48.12

labor for fertilizer application 2,109.93 47.41

15-Nov-2013 Hand weeding and rounding up 2,835.00 63.71

Chopping off leaves @ P500/ha 500.00 11.24

30-Jan-2014 to 19-Feb-2014 Harvesting

22,730.33

510.79

Cost of Production PhP124,776.22 USD 2,803.96

Gross income 209,306.38 4,703.51

NET INCOME 84,530.16 1,899.55

Note:

1 bag = 50 kilos

1 drum = 200 liters

Also, Aliette (systemic fungicide) is used to treat pineapple slips before planting

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V. FUTURE OUTLOOK

Dolefil plans to expand by another 12,000 hectares from its current land area to meet the growing demand of its Asian market. It is eyeing the provinces of North Cotabato and Bukidnon for its expansion (Cayon, 2014). The land acquisition may be through direct purchase, lease or growership. Some landowners reportedly offered their lands in exchange for buying out their indebtedness from banks and informal lenders (Cayon, 2014).

The company also targets expanding its plantations along the equatorial belt. It has begun testing plantation operations in Indonesia and Vietnam, and may explore Sierra Leone in Africa (Cayon, 2014).

Currently, Dolefil is shipping planting materials (MG3 crowns) to Thailand. The materials come from the harvested pineapples in Polomolok and Tupi, which are transported to the agronomy department. From the said department, materials are segregated according to specifications, then dipped into fungicide solution (phosphorous) and dried up. The materials are stored up to seven days until the scheduled shipment. Every week, 10 container vans of planting materials are transported to that country.

REFERENCES

“Dolefil growers said ready for integration.” BusinessWorld Online. Retrieved at http://www.bworldonline.com/content.Php?section=Economy&title=Dolefil-growers-said-ready-for-integration&id=86532. Baroña, Maria Lizbeth Severa J. 2005. Our Fruit Industry: Where We Stand. BAR Digest July-September 2005 (Vol. 7 No.3)

Bethge, Wolfgang. 2003. http://www.insights-philippines.de/ananaseng.htm

Cayon, Manuel T. (2014, April 24). Dole PHL to expand plantation area to meet new markets. Business Mirror. Retrieved from http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.Php/en/news/regions/31023-dole-phl-to-expand-plantation-area-to-meet-new-markets

Dhang, Partho (2012). Current Agricultural Chemical Trends in the Philippines.

http://news.agropages.com/News/NewsDetail---7883.htm. Accessed May 20, 2014.

Digal, Larry. 2007. Agricultural Contracts in Mindanao: the Case of Banana and Pineapple. PIDS Discussion Paper Series 2007-24. Dolefil company briefer

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Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER). 2008. Nomination Brief for DoleFil for the Public Eye Global Awards. "Pineapple Growers End Endosulfan Use." GMA News Online. N.p., 28 Oct. 2008. Web. 08 July 2014. Pineapple Production Guide. http://businessdiary.com.ph/4473/pineapple-production-guide/ Reiger, Mark. www.fruit-crops.com Tangonan NG, Pecho JA, & Butardo EGG. 2008. Disease profile of crops in USM, Kabacan, Cotabato: a practical guide to diagnosing and controlling common field diseases. University of Southern Mindanao Agricultural Research Center (USMARC), USM, Kabacan, Cotabato, Philippines, 50pp Teruel, Jose. 2005. Hazardous Technologies, Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Impact on the Health of Agriculture Workers. The Case of Dole Philippines, Inc. Presented during the International Agricultural Workers Meeting, May 20-22, 2005, Penang, Malaysia. Understanding the Job Contracting Program: A draft manual for the implementation of job contracting in Agriculture Operations Division of Dole Philippines, Inc.

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Appendix Table 1. Chemical names, toxicity and environmental effects of selected pesticides used in growing pineapple in the Philippines. [compiled from Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) from the internet]

Trade Name

Chemical Name

Use Toxicity Health/ Environmental Effects

Aliette Aluminum tris (O-ethyl phosphonate)

Fungicide (systemic)

Acute Oral LD50 (rats): 2,860mg/kg; Acute Dermal LD50 (rabbit): >2,000 mg/kg Acute inhalation LC50 (rat): 5 mg/L at 4h

Potential carcinogen due to its crystalline silica (quartz) content; Toxic to aquatic and estuarine invertebrates

Diazinon Diazinon Insecticide -organophosphate

Acute Oral LD50(rat):1600mg/kg; Inhalation LC50 (rat): >2.5mg/l (4hr); Acute Dermal LD50 (rabbit): >2020mg/kg ECOACUTE TOXICITY: rainbow trout: 1.8mg AI/L; Mallard Oral LD50: 1.44mg/kg; Daphnia LC50 (48hr):0.0011mg AI/L

Highly toxic to birds, fish, and other wildlife

Hyvar Bromacil or Lithium salt

Herbicide Inhalation 4h LC50:>2mg/l, rat; Dermal LD50: >5000mg/kg rat; Oral LD50:1,414mg/kg rat female

Oral rat: liver effects, organ weight changes, thyroid effects, reduced body weight gain; Carcinogenecity:Tumor in laboratory animals; Mutagenecity: Genetic damage in some cultured mammalian cells >known to leach in soil and contaminate groundwater as a result of normal field use.

Karmex Diuron Herbicide Acute Oral LD50 (rats): 1,879mg/kg; Acute Dermal LD50 (rabbit): >5,000 mg/kg Acute inhalation LC50 (rat): 2.03mg/L

Long term exposure may cause enlarging of liver and/or spleen.

Ametryn Triazine Herbicide Oral LD50 (rabbits): 4,494 mg/kg; Dermal LD50 (rats): >2,020 mg/kg Inhalation LC50 (rat): > 5.6 mg/L air (4hrs)

Ecotoxicity: Rainbow trout, 96hr LC50: 3.2ppm; Daphnia, 48hr EC50:28ppm; Green algae 7-day EC50: 3.67ppb; Bobwhite Quail 14 days LD50: 2250mg /kg Low bioaccumulation potential

Ethrel Ethepon Plant regulator Oral (LD50): >5,000mg/kg; Acute Dermal (LD50):>2,000mg/kg; Acute Inhalation (LC50): 4.5mg/L 4hr

Mild reproductive toxicity in offspring; not neurotoxic; not mutagenic

Gibberellic Acid

Oral(LD50):Acute:6300mg/kg(rat); 8500mg/kg(mouse); Dermal(LD50):acute 2001mg/kg(rabbit)

No data