Sorrow and Survival of a Woman Banana Farmer

          Her ownership of a small banana farm in Compostela, Davao de Oro has been fraught with trials, the most devastating of which was the slaying of her husband in 2016.  Welma Hibaya, a woman farmer and leader of their small farming association, has since led a life of sorrow and survival in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

          Welma is the successor of a more-than-half-a-hectare banana farm awarded to her late husband, Bienvinido, as Agrarian Reform Beneficiary (ARB) in 2008. Currently a leader of Survivor Farm, a 12-member informal farmer’s association in their area, she is one of the many women farmers who experience firsthand the issues that face the country’s most important but underserved sector.

Rising from the ashes

          Welma’s husband, Bienvinido was an organizer of banana farmworkers in their town, instrumental in the triumph of their struggle for ownership of their banana farms. In June 2016, Bienvinido was shot by an unknown assailant. His death remains unsolved after six years.

          Although gutted by her husband’s sudden death, Welma was prepared to take on Bienvinido’s role in their small banana farm, managing it hands-on, attending training sessions to improve her skills, and even following her husband’s footsteps as an active member of their farming community. But with land came several challenges – not the least of which were the low buying prices for produce that Welma and other farmers had toiled to grow.

          Bienvinido’s association was among the small groups of banana growers that had instantaneously signed a contract with Sumifru Philippines, a multinational banana exporter, in 2008 without the benefit of expert review or strong legal guidance. The contract, which covered a 15-year period renewable for another 15 years, bound the farmers to low buying prices and other restrictions for over a decade.

          Under it, a 13-kilogram box of cavendish bananas would be sold for a meager $4.25 (Php 217.91) for 15 years, with banana growers shouldering the cost of farm inputs and disease control at the company’s predetermined price. The only seemingly beneficial clause of the contract was its assurance to buy all hanging bunches of harvestable fruits, even if Sumifru encountered problems with its market.

Surviving debts

          But in the midst of this pandemic, Welma’s banana-farm livelihood has become a liability-laden endeavor. Dwindling profit from the farm has forced her to borrow money to pay-off the banana workers who help Survivor Farm harvest fruits.

          To give a picture, a standard harvest of 1,100 boxes in 12 days generates a gross income of Php 95,000 to Php110,000 ($1,852.68 to $2,145.21) for Welma’s group.  Sumifru then charges standard tax deduction, Sigatoka Control, farm inputs, and other items to this income. The “corpo,” local lingo for small association of banana growers, also deducts wages of the seven (7) laborers at Php 250 ($4.88) per day. All this commonly leaves them with a net income of Php 2,000 ($39.00) each or equivalent to Php 4,000 ($78.01) a month— hardly enough to support the association members and their families.

          Aside from low buying prices, farmers have also raised some issues surrounding transparency in the charges for farmers. Some banana farmers claim not to notice a trace of the chemicals being sprayed in their banana plants despite being charged for airplane spray to protect crops. Prices of farm inputs were also 20 percent higher than other commercial suppliers. But since they lacked capital to directly purchase farm inputs, they had to accept the prices charged by the company, according to Romualdo L. Remedio, a board member of the neighboring Davao Fruits Banana Growers Agrarian Reform Cooperative (DFBGARC), who supported Welma’s statements.

Calls for transparency

          Absence of transparency is an issue encountered by many small-scale farmers interacting with larger, more powerful multinational companies. While such companies may claim to apply transparency and accountability in their dealings, these are not necessarily what is felt on the ground.

          In the case of farmer associations in Davao de Oro, lack of guidance from structures and government agencies that should be protecting ARBs can lead to disadvantageous contracts that do not give them their due. Interestingly, the same year that Welma’s farmers’ association contract with Sumifru was signed, Sumifru was certified for Social Accountability (SA) 8000:2001. The SA8000 is an international accreditation that provides businesses with a framework to “conduct business in a way that is fair and decent for workers.”

Moving forward

          Despite these challenges, women like Welma continue to firmly take root. Not one to be fazed by difficulty, she recalls how she, a survivor, made it through the many trials of her life.  

          “I could not drown myself in sorrow; my health would be affected. Besides, I was strengthened by my faith in God,” she said.

          At age 55, Welma is still hopeful that in the years ahead she will recover both from the pain of being a victim of violence and of economic inequities. She fervently wishes that in their next negotiation with Sumifru in 2028, the price of bananas will be increased to at least $6.00 (Php 307.65) per box, constant for a period of a maximum of five (5) years rather than15 years.

          She also hopes for more transparency in charging and for associations to obtain cheaper inputs from trusted sources, so their minimal profits would not be devoured by steep prices. Like many farmers, she yearns to one day enjoy the fruits of her labor in her banana farm.

(Mary Fe B. Arquiza, PhD/ Davao City, Philippines/July 27, 2021).