pineapple
A Commodity system analysis
Overview of the Commodity

Photo from www.markmaranga.com/camp-phillips-del-monte-pineapple-plantation-in-bukidnon/

A. Technical Description
Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a perennial crop grown for its fruits and used as a fresh and processed product. World production is about 13.7 million tons fresh fruit.(FAOSTAT, 2001).
The origin of the pineapple is still uncertain but the Parana-Paraguay Basin has been considered as a possible area. For good growth pineapple requires mean daily temperatures of 22 to 26°C with an optimum of 23 to 24°C. Mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures of 30 and 20°C respectively for the whole growing period are considered optimum. Temperatures below or above this range affect fruit quality or the acid and sugar content.
The crop is grown between 31°N and 34°S, primarily in regions with high relative humidity. A combination of optimum temperature and high humidity results in soft, large leaves and juicy fruits, low in acid content. Fruits ripening in periods with cool temperatures and low radiation levels, e.g. in winter or at high altitudes, are of inferior quality because of poor shape for canning. Requirements for canning are: a cylindrical shape, fruit eyes of a relatively shallow surface and a small fruit core in relation to the fruit.
Pineapple can grow on a wide range of soils but a sandy loam texture is preferred. Optimum soil pH is 4.5 to 6.5. The soil should have a low lime content. The crop is sensitive to waterlogging and therefore requires a well-drained soil with good aeration. For high production the fertilizer needs are 230 to 300 kg/ha N, 45 to 65 kg/ha P and 110 to 220 kg/ha K.
Pineapple is usually grown in double rows on raised beds. With a spacing of 0.6 x 0.3m in beds 0.75 to 0.90m apart, plant population is about 50000 per ha. Shading is sometimes used where temperatures are high and radiation intense to protect the crop from scorching. The crop is multiplied using slips, crowns and shoots or suckers, but in comparison with using suckers as planting material, the period from planting to harvest is about 20 percent longer when slips are used, and about 35 percent longer when crowns are used. Use of different planting material allows a manipulation of the crop growing period and particularly in selection of the time of harvest when climatic conditions are favourable for high quality fruits. Normally the plant crop is followed by one ratoon crop, but when climatic conditions are favourable, the crop will continue to bear fruits but quality rapidly declines after the first ratoon. However, in warm tropical climates, e.g. at low altitudes near the equator, no ratoon crop is possible because suckers do not develop. The period from planting to harvest of the plant crop is 1 to 2 years and of the ratoon crop 9 months to 1.5 years depending on planting material and climate.
The flower initiation in pineapple is induced by low temperature, water deficit or hormone spray; the latter results in a uniform fruiting and harvest period.

B. Socio-economic Importance of the Commodity
It is notable that fruits play an important role in the economy of the Philippines. Among many other fruits, cultivation of pineapple has a significant role for the socio-economic development of the pineapple growers in many parts of the plain and upland of the country as it offers a source of income generation. Apart from the consumption as a delicious and nutritious fruit it is also referred as a medical diet for certain diseased persons.
Pineapple dominates the world trade of tropical fruits, although other fruits have gained market share. Statistics from 2000 indicate that pineapple trade took 51 % from a total of 2.1 million tons of the whole fruit market with mangoes taking the second place, with 21.7 %. Pineapple is the best positioned fruit since its trade is oriented to developed countries as Japan, the USA and the European Community (Coveca, 2002). Consequently, during the past decade world production of pineapple as increased at a rate of 1.9% per year, despite the occurrence of unfavorable weather and economic situations (FAO, 2002).

The Agribusiness Sectors

The input Sector
Major Inputs Used A. Planting Material
Crowns, slips and suckers are the most suitable planting materials. Slips bear fruits in 18 to 20 months. They should be obtained six to eight weeks after harvesting. B. Fertilizer
Adequate nitrogen fertilizer makes plants grow vigorously and produce large fruits. Potassium, on the other hand, increases fruit size and sweetness. Pineapple will require little phosphorus since our soil have generally sufficient phosphorus. C. Agrochemical Used
Hyvar, Karmex, and Ametryn are the herbicides commonly used in the pineapple plantations. 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. D. Tools and Equipment
Tools and equipment used in pineapple farming are the commonly used in farming practices such as shovel or spade, moldboard plow, conveyor belts, tubs or bins, harvesting boom, tractor, bolo and forklift. E. Irrigation
Good water availability for irrigation is recommended in drier areas and is useful in all situations for watering at planting and 8-12 weeks before harvest in dry seasons. Pineapples are reasonably sensitive to saline irrigation water and yields tend to reduce if irrigation water's electroconductivity is greater than 1.28 dS/m.

F. Land/Soil
The best soils for pineapple production are non-compacted, well-aerated and free-draining loams, sandy loams and clay loams with no heavy clay or rock within one metre of the surface. Good drainage is essential because poor drainages leads to a weak root system, which makes the plant more susceptible to root and heart rot diseases. A soil pH in the range of 4.5-5.6 is optimal for pineapple production.
Small-scale operations, planting time is between March and August. Plant slips and suckers 8 to 10 cm deep, 25 or 30 cm in row and 80 to 100 cm between rows. These spacing give population density of 33,000 to 50,000 plants per hectare. Planting in double rows also gives the population per hectare. This method requires distance of 25 to 30 cm in a row, 50 cm within a double row and 100 cm between double rows. This will result in about 44,000 to 53,000 plants per hectare. G. Labor
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. The rest of their workforces 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).

Volume Consumption and Prices of Inputs

Sources of Inputs
Sources of the crown, suckers and slips are from the harvest fruits. Some farms also source their planting materials from contact growers.
Fertilizers and agrochemicals are mostly imported. Local formulators of agrochemicals in the country also import active ingredient since there are no local production of chemical inputs in the country. Machineries are also imported however equipment came from local suppliers
The workforce in a common pineapple plantation come mainly from the poor sector living in or near the plantations.

Problems and Prospects in the Sector
Problems
* The rising cost of inputs * Environmental burdens * Although the pineapple industry on Mindanao has the potential to bring great prosperity to the Philippines, in reality the pineapple workers on Mindanao experience exploitative working conditions. The vast majority of the workforce is employed on insecure contracts and receives a very low income for the hard work they do in the fields, among the prickly leaves of the pineapple plants.
Prospects
* Farm mechanization * Postharvest facilities * Production of organic fertilizer in the Philippines * Philippines has good locations for planting pineapples which will push through maximum input utilization * Research and development for the production of inputs in the country

The Farm Sector
Production Trends, Volume and Prices A. PRODUCTION (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics)
In 2011, Philippines has an existing production area of 58,457 hectares that has produced a volume of 2,246,806MT. Pineapple production went up by 3.58% in 2011. There were continuous increases in area harvested of pineapple from Del Monte, Lapanday, Asian Hybrid, Mt. Kitanglad Agricultural Development Corporation, Davao Ventures Corporation and DOLE in Bukdinon in the 2nd half of 2011. Likewise there were increases in area planted and harvested in Bicol Region owing to the high demand for this product.
Higher yield of pineapple farms was cited in SOCCSKSRAGEN and this was attributed to sufficient rainfall during the last quarter of the year. Northern Mindanao attained the highest production with 1,159,698 MT followed by SOCCSKSARGEN with 794,841 MT and Bicol Region with 116,123 MT. On the other hand, SOCCSKSARGEN has the highest existing area of 22,850 hectares, followed by Northern Mindanao with 21,979 hectares and CALABARZON with 3,869 hectares.

Table 3. Total production (MT), area (ha), average yield/ha (MT), volume of export (MT), farm gate price (Php/kg) and average growth rate of pineapple in the Philippines, 2008-2013 (BAS, 2014).
Retrieved from http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&id=20150810090507&type_id=4

B. Production and Hectarage
The total production and area planted to pineapple from 2008-2013 is shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 13. Volume of production (MT) and area planted (ha) to pineapple in the Philippines, 2008-2013 (BAS, 2014).

From 2008-2010, production had decreased which afterwards had steadily increased reaching 245,842MT in 2013. This is translated into an average annual growth rate of 2.20%. In terms of area planted to this crop, this had flactuated over the six-year period. However, it had shown an average of annual growth rate of 0.86% from 58,251ha in 2008 to 60,750ha in 2013. ‘Cayenne’ is generally planted in the provinces of Laguna and Cavite as well as the areas managed by the multinationals in the provinces of Bukidnon, Davao and South Cotabato. For ‘Queen’ these are planted in the provinces of Camarines Norte and Southern Leyte while ‘Red Spanish’, this is planted in Panay Island particularly in the provinces of Antique and Aklan.
On a regional level, Fig. 14 shows the area planted to pineapple which are concentrated in CALABARZON, (Laguna and Cavite), Bicol Region (Camarines Norte), Northern Mindanao (Bukidnon), Davao Region (Davao) and SOCCKSARGEN (South Cotabato).

Fig. 14. Area (ha) planted to pineapple in the Philippines, by region 2013 (BAS, 2014).

The Del Monte and Dole pineapple farms are located in Bukidnon and South Cotabato, respectively where they have their processing plants. Moreover, their production system is highly intensive and a high degree of mechanization is employed. C. Yield
The average yield/ha from 2008 to 2013 ranged from 37.05-41.02MT/ha with an average of 38.60MT/ha. During the same time period, it exhibited an average annual growth rate of 1.38% (Fig. 15).

Fig. 15. Average yield (MT/ha) of pineapple grown in the Philippines, 2008-2013 (BAS, 2014).
Generally, higher average yield was obtained in ‘Cayenne’ compared to ‘Queen’ and ‘Red Spanish’ due to bigger fruit size.

D. Utilization
Fig. 16 shows the utilization of harvested fruit amounting to 2,458,420 MT in 2013.

Fig. 16. Utilization of harvested pineapple fruits grown in the Philippines, 2013 (BAS, 2014).

These are broken into: a) 41% as total net food disposable; b) 37% for processing; c) 17% for export (fresh fruit); and d) 5% as feeds/wastes. For the multinational companies, fruit are utilized both as fresh fruit for the domestic and export markets and as processing material (canned pineapple in syrup and puree/juice). The primary cultivar used for processing is ‘Cayenne’.

E. Volume of Production
Northern Mindanao recorded the largest volume of production followed by SOCCSKSARGEN and Bicol Region.
For the year 2008, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, a total of 2,209,336 metric tons were produced by the country. Northern Mindanao has the largest production volume with 1,007,022metric tons followed by SOCCSKSARGEN with and Bicol Region with 111,530 metric tons

The Processing Sector

A. Product lines/ processed products
The Philippine pineapple industry has a number of varieties that are being produced and processed for local and international markets. Smooth Cayenne or Hawaiian variety which is best for canning and African Queen which is the sweetest variety, both of them good for juice concentrates and fresh juice products.

B. Manufacturers and scale of operation
The Philippines has an existing production area of 58,457 hectares that has produced a volume of 2,246,806MT which 70% of these areas are located in the provinces of Northern and Southern Mindanao. While 30% is exported, one third as fresh fruit and the remaining as processed fruits.
There were continuous increases in area harvested of pineapple that led to the 3.58% increase in pineapple production back in 2011. Del Monte, Lapanday, Asian Hybrid, Mt. Kitanglad Agricultural Development Corporation, Davao Ventures Corporation and DOLE are the major players in production of pineapple that lead to the growth and expansion of the industry.

C. Processing Opportunities and Problems
Chemical use
Various studies have uncovered high residue of pesticides and other agrochemicals on pineapple plantations due mainly to heavy use of chemicals. Not only does that pose serious health risks to the consumers but also to the environment. It could also contaminate the soil and water which would lead to problems for the plantations and its surrounding communities.
Abuse of temporary employment
Even though pineapple is not seasonal work a lot of workers are still employed under part-time and underpaid. Workers in this position also often receive fewer benefits such paid vacation, allowances and other payments if they are eligible for those at all. There is also a disadvantage in opportunities for developing skills and promotion.
Land Acquisition
There are reports of indigenous communities being driven off the land they have lived on for centuries, so that it can be turned into pineapple plantations. Since land is an ongoing source for conflicts in the Philippines, violations of land rights occur to indigenous people, smallholder farmers and local communities are deprived of their land which they have customary rights to.

The Marketing Sector
Marketing Channel
The domestic marketing channel of pineapple is shown in Figure 1. It represents the main channel from producers who themselves harvest the fruits. The harvest may be brought to a nearby domestic market or sold along highway stalls through traders, wholesalers and retailers.

Figure 1.0 Pineapple domestic marketing channel

Pineapple Exports
Table 1.1 Volume and Value and Major Markets of PINEAPPLE Export, (BAS, 2010) Country of Destination | Volume (‘000 mt) | Value (FOB in million US $) | United States of America | 166.98 | 131.90 | Japan (excludes Okinawa) | 113.15 | 33.85 | Korea, Republic of South | 37.97 | 14.15 | Netherlands | 10.50 | 10.78 | Canada | 6.88 | 6.39 | Others | 70.54 | 45.52 | TOTAL (Pineapple and Pineapple Products) | 406.00 | 242.58 | Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics

Table 1.2 Volume, Value and Major Markets of PINEAPPLE Products Export, 2010 | Volume | Value | Major Markets | Fresh | 164,552.64 mt | P1,884.54 million | Japan (63.7%), Korea (19.4%) | Dried | 97.00 mt | P26.26 million | Japan (42.9%), Guam (14.3%), USA (10.6%) | Juice | 100,434.88 mt | P3,338.87 million | USA (74.3%) | Prepared/Preserved | 140,918.83 mt | P5,693.23 million | USA (65.5%) | Nata de Piña Prepared or preserved | 82.49 mt | P6.39 million | Canada (53.4%), USA (20.7%) | Source: PCARRD (from Bureau of Agricultural Statistics)

The Philippines exports the majority of its fresh pineapples to countries like Japan (87%) and South Korea (5%), while processed pineapple products are mainly exported to the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Europe (44%, 23%, 9%, and 8% respectively)

Marketing Strategies adopted by producers and traders
The pineapple output of large plantations in Mindanao is mainly exported, either fresh or processed, while those in Luzon and Visayas are marketed for local consumption
Several intermediaries are involved in the marketing of pineapple. From the growers, the fruits are either sold to wholesalers, wholesalers-retailers, viajeros, and retailers, or directly sold to processors before they reach the consumers. Contract growers, however, sell directly to big company processors. Pineapple is sold in fruit stalls and supermarkets inmany different forms: dried, processed in chunks, tidbits, and juice.

Price Trends
The annual average wholesale price of pineapple in 2004 was generally Php 16.91, while the average retail price of the Hawaiian variety was Php 25.49 per ripe piece.
The annual average farm price of Formosa, Hawaiian and native pineapple is Php 4.71, 4.77 and 7.84 respectively
Table 2.0 Farmgate price of PINEAPPLE (pesos/kg) in the Philippines, 2007-2011 Variety | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Formosa | 5.25 | 5.39 | 6.23 | 7.08 | 7.19 | Hawaiian | 4.89 | 5.02 | 5.26 | 5.02 | 6.35 | Native | 6.24 | 6.75 | 6.32 | 6.12 | 7.65 |

Figure 1. Farmgate price of PINEAPPLE (pesos/kg) in the Philippines, 2008- 2013
(Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics)

Demand and Supply Situation
World market demand remains high (5% in value and 3% in volume annually) while domestic demand grows by an average of 5.5% yearly
In 2011, the Philippines has an existing production area of 58,457 hectares that has produced a volume of 2,246,806MT. Pineapple production went up by 3.58% in 2011. There were continuous increases in area harvested of pineapple from Del Monte, Lapanday, Asian Hybrid, Mt. Kitanglad Agricultural Development Corporation, Davao Ventures Corporation and DOLE in Bukdinon in the 2nd half of 2011. Likewise there were increases in area planted and harvested in Bicol Region owing to the high demand for this product. Higher yield of pineapple farms was cited in SOCCSKSRAGEN and this was attributed to sufficient rainfall during the last quarter of the year (Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, n.d.)

Projected Demand
Pineapple imports are forecast to increase nearly 6 percent over the projections period and will account for 42 percent of total world import volumes by 2010, down from the estimated nearly 50 percent of global demand for 2000. The United States is expected to remain the world’s largest importer of fresh pineapple, accounting for 46 percent of global imports. Forecast growth in that market, at slightly more than 10 percent, should be largely driven by income and population growth, plus consumer trends.

Marketing Opportunities and Problems
There are numerous opportunities present in marketing pineapple based on the increased projected demand. In addition to this, there was a 5% increase in the EU purchases of canned pineapple despite a price per tonne increase of 10% during the first two months of the year. However, there are policy issues of immediate concern, pertaining mostly to increased market access and competitiveness, and these issues should continue to drive policy discussion throughout the projections period. The more dynamic exporting countries, particularly those in Asia, are striving to improve production and quality control in order to increase competitiveness in international markets. The Philippines is actively pursuing policies aimed at relaxing non-tariff barriers (mostly on SPS grounds) in major importing countries in order to allow access to markets at more competitive prices.

The Agroservices Sector
Institutions supporting the commodity system A. Department of Agriculture High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP)
The Department of Agriculture High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) or the RA 7900 aims to make the pineapple industry in the Philippines to “remain the top exporter of juice concentrates and pineapple juice in the country”. Generally, the HVCDP helps to promote the sustainability and growth in all agribusiness sectors of high value crops.

B. Regional DA and LGUs
Regional Department of Agriculture and provincial governments like in Daet, Camarines Norte, which is one of the pineapple-producing provinces in the Philippines, provide financial support for purchasing fertilizers for pineapple growers.

C. Philippine Economic Zone Authority
It supports the industry by building agri-industrial economic zones throughout the country by cooperatives of small land owners and the processing plants will be be built in the zones to aid the transportation of crops. It primarily aids in the exporting of agricultural products in the country.

Programs and interventions A. Fairfood International’s Land of Promise Campaign
This campaign promotes sustainable production of pineapples in Mindanao and seeks to improve the issues related to the pineapple industry in the Philippines. These issues include heavy use of pesticides and other agrochemicals that poses serious health and environmental risks. Chemicals used in pineapple plantation poses risks specifically to the soil and water. Also, a lot of pineapple workers are hired on a contractual basis, temporarily, or part-time since pineapple harvesting is seasonal.
They work through capacity development by empowering local stakeholders, and through company engagement by engaging offending companies into dialogue and by largely putting pressure on them.

B. Philippine Packing Agricultural Export Processing Zone
This is a project by Del Monte Philippines through the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). It is located in the 27-ha property of Del Monte in Bugo, Cagayan De Oro. It was built to modernize the company’s cannery to be more competitive in the global marketplace by improving overall facilities, using the newest technology, ensuring the products meet the necessary export standards.

C. Bukidnon Agri-Resources Export Zone
This is also another project by Del Monte through PEZA. It is based at the Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon and was built to focus on extracting and processing enzymes from fruits for export in Europe and US for use in medical fields.

D. Philippine Government’s Five-Point Programme
This programme aims to strengthen current markets and break new ones for the agricultural crops in the Philippines. It also aims to increase farm production and also raise farmers’ incomes The main components of the programme are: * Increased public spending on rural infrastructure, including restoration of irrigation facilities * Provision of easier access to rural credit through join relationships * Development of new technologies * Introduction of more productive seeds for high-quality yields * Improve market access both domestically and abroad

Integration of All Sectors

The major inputs used in pineapple farming are planting materials i.e. crown, suckers, and slips, fertilizers that are organic and inorganic, agrochemicals i.e. herbicides and pesticides, irrigation, and labor from farmers and contract growers. The primary problem in the input sector is that the vast majority of the workforce is employed on insecure contracts and receives a very low income for the hard work they do in the fields. On the other hand, some of prospects in the sector is farm mechanization and development of postharvest facilities.
Pineapple is extensively cultivated in the country thus continuous expansion of pineapple plantation lands is the focus of large companies and growers. Also, a lot of private sectors provide support on post-harvest facilities and equipment. However, during the production process, there are some challenges that pineapple growers face, and these include the sensitiveness of pineapples to water logging, lack of financing/ credit and market assistance for small growers and processors, and poor transport infrastructure facilities. Some of the opportunities associated with the commodity include the high demand of pineapple in the world market and rise of niche markets for organically grown pineapples.
As for the processing sector, there are a number of varieties of pineapples that were already introduced for the market. These include smooth Cayenne or Hawaiian, which are best for canning; Queen or African Queen or Formosa, which is the sweetest variety; and Native Philippine red or red Spanish
Cabezona. Pineapple is processed further into juice concentrates, fresh juice products and canned fruit. Extracts were also produced for export to US and Europe. Processing plants of the pineapple industry include problems that are associated with the chemical use during production, underpayment of workers and abuse of temporary employment.
On the other hand, the marketing sector of pineapples is very abundant in its domestic and exporting markets. Fresh pineapples are exported to Japan and Korea. Processed pineapples are exported to US, Canada, Singapore, and Hongkong. In the domestic market, there are traders, wholesalers, retailers, processors,and direct market channels. Large plantations in Mindanao produce pineapples either fresh or processed mainly for export while pineapples from plantations in Luzon and Visayas are marketed for local consumption. Several intermediaries involved in the marketing of pineapple: growers, wholesalers, wholesalers-retailers, viajeros, retailers, and processors. Contract growers sell directly to big company processors. Pineapple is sold in fruit stalls and supermarkets inmany different forms: dried, processed in chunks, tidbits, and juice.
With regard to the price of the commodity, the annual average farm price of Formosa, Hawaiian and native pineapple is Php 4.71, 4.77 and 7.84 respectively. On demand and supply situation, world market demand remains high (5% in value and 3% in volume annually) while domestic demand grows by an average of 5.5% yearly. Pineapple production went up by 3.58% in 2011. United States is expected to remain the world’s largest importer of fresh pineapple, accounting for 46 percent of global imports. However, productivity gap is projected due to unfavorable labor conditions at Mindanao.
A 5% increase in the EU purchases of canned pineapple despite a price per tonne increase of 10% during the first two months of the year is considered an opportunity for the industry. Also, demand for pineapple fiber overseas is increasing. Problems associated in the marketing sector include policy issues pertaining to increased market access and competitiveness and non-tariff barriers.
In the support subsystem of the commodity, there are certain government institutions that supports the production and marketing of the pineapples in the Philippines i.e. the Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and the local government units where pineapple plantations are located. These supports include financial, transportation, and exporting supports. There are also programs and intervention to promote the competitiveness of the products in the country and to support the farmers by ensuring that they receive the right salary for their work.

Conclusion

The pineapple industry is a fully-developed industry in the Philippines due to its wide range of markets locally and internationally. This is made possible by processing companies especially the two big multinational companies in the country, which is Del Monte, Inc. and Dole. These two companies are the major contributors in the increasing demand and quality supply of fresh and processed pineapples worldwide. Also, government support plays also a significant role in promoting avenues and resources for the industry’s competitiveness and the pineapple farmers and growers’ welfare. Although there were identified barriers in the export market such as the non-tariff barriers, the demand is still growing.
Some of the problems associated in the commodity are mostly internal. Use of agrochemicals that bring about environmental and product risk, low salary of pineapple growers, and temporary hiring of employees in the industry since harvesting of the commodity is seasonal—these are only some of the problems that were gathered through research. Though there may be others, it could be concluded that these problems pose risk only to the farm and processing sector. However, all the sectors are interrelated, which means that these problems can damage the integrity and status of the pineapple industry if these problems were not addressed.

Recommendations

There are some recommendations that could be applied by different players in the industry to further improve its capacity.
For companies: 1. Improve backward integration and welfare of employees by training them to farm on an allocated area for conducting supply chain research and experiments 2. Conduct an active dialogue among farmers and the players in order to preserve the relationship among them and address the concerns raised especially in the production sector
For the government: 1. Formulate policies that will regulate the employment status and welfare of pineapple farm employees 2. Implement and construct policies that will enable the pineapple industry to overcome non-tariff barriers
For the farmers 1. Adapt to regulations and standards set to coordinate the quality of the produce 2. Assert for a higher wage and engage in dialogues with companies and regulation officers to address each other’s’ concerns

REFERENCES:
Bethge, W. (2003) Pineapple Cultivation in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.insights-philippines.de/ananaseng.htm

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. (2013). Philippines Country Report. Retrieved from www.bas.gov.ph/

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. (2014). Philippines Country Report. Retrieved from www.bas.gov.ph/

Dela Cruz, P. (2010). Medium Term Projections for World Supply and Demand for Tropical Fruits.

Department of Agriculture. (2013). Pineapple. Retrieved from http://hvcc.da.gov.ph/pineapple.htm

Espino, R. R. & Espino M. R. (n.d.). The Status of the Fruit Industry in the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.agnet.org/library.php?func=view&id=20150810090507&type_id=4

Fairfood International (n.d.) Pineapples from the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.fairfood.org/project/pineapples-philippines/ Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development. (2003).
Pineapple Exports. Retrieved from http://www.pcaarrd.dost.gov.ph/home/joomla/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=1862&Itemid=473 The Report: The Philippines 2008. (2008). Oxford Business Group. Retrieved from https://goo.gl/eGYGQB