Two regional lawmakers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the region’s investment office have pooled resources for the establishment of a banana plantation to provide livelihood for Teduray farmers in the mountains of Maguindanao.

On Thursday, the BARMM government started the construction of the banana plantation following the groundbreaking ceremony at Barangay Labungan, Datu Odin Sinsuat town.

A joint project of the BARMM’s Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI) and the offices of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Members of Parliament Suharto Ambolodoto and Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs (MIPA) represented by Deputy MIPA Minister Guialel Abdurahman, an initial five-hectare land area at the Datucampong plantation will be planted with the Cardava banana variety.

In the coming months, it is expected that planting of the Cardava variety will expand within the total 50-hectare plantation area of the firm.

The BBOI has earlier established the link between the Datucampong firm, a new banana investor, and the Usman banana plantation in Matanog, Maguindanao, for banana plants supplies.

The BBOI also will provide the firms with technical assistance or skills on the proper method of planting, as well as help them link their banana products to the market.

Lawyer Ishak Mastura, BBOI chair, said this project will encourage more people to go into Cardava planting.

“(For the reason that) there is also available market and good income for Cardava,” Mastura added.

“We are also eyeing future ventures to develop 150 hectares of Cavendish banana plantation here in the area that will generate at least 250 jobs, mostly for the resident farmers,” Mastura added.

Abdurahman, for his part, acknowledged the BBOI, with assistance from Ambolodto, for its efforts in providing an investment initiative for the indigenous people. (PNA)