Just Ask Why Avocados did not take off in the big way in Philippine ?

Hi Lee Ann I throw the question to one of the farmer in Gamu Isabela who had happen to love avocados and only grow a few in his backyard. The main problem he told me is that the avocados are very susceptible to a fungus that causes rapid decay of roots and trunk, eventually leading to the death of the infected avocado tree. Presently, there is no known avocado variety in the Philippines that is resistant to this fungus. Since avocado is not considered a major fruit in the country and is planted mostly in backyards, only a limited amount of planting material is being produced in a few government institutions and private nurseries.

Many avocado trees in the Philippines are grown without the benefit of fertilizer. This may be the reason why fruit yield and quality tend to decline after fruiting for several years. Furthermore, the government did not lead the way to promote or train the farmers and produce better quality of avocado for the export quality. In Gamu water shortage, an increasing salinity problem are the main challenges for the Philippine avocado industry. Since looking at all the angles, if we managed to solve all this problems we might export to Singapore and other countries in a big way. Keen to take up the challenge ?