Saba Banana: A Native Crop with Strong Potential for Tourism and Farm Growth in Aklan

By John dela Cruz

KALIBO, Aklan — The saba banana, a native Philippine variety cultivated since ancient times, is gaining renewed attention as a strategic crop to support food supply, farmer incomes, and the expanding domestic and international tourism market in Western Visayas.

Second only to Cavendish in national production, saba is known for its vigorous growth, robust plant size, and resilience. It tolerates drought and flooding better than many banana types, making it well-suited to changing climate conditions. From flowering, fruits are ready for harvest in 90 to 120 days. While each banana plant bears fruit once, new suckers continuously emerge from the mother plant—allowing year-round production with proper farm management.

Ideal Match for Aklan’s Environment

Aklan’s soil characteristics, rolling to flat topography, and favorable weather provide an excellent environment for saba cultivation. These natural advantages, combined with the crop’s hardiness, lower production risks for farmers and make saba a reliable option for both smallholders and expanding growers.

Recent data underscore this promise: Western Visayas produced 40,548 metric tons of saba in Q2 2025, up from 30,547 metric tons in Q3 2024—a clear signal of improving conditions and rising output.

Powering the Tourism Food Chain

As one of the region’s major tourism centers, Aklan—anchored by Boracay—creates steady demand for saba-based foods. Hotels, restaurants, resorts, and souvenir outlets increasingly use saba for banana cue, turon, maruya, breakfast sides, desserts, and snack items for visitors. The growing popularity of banana chips, crackers, candies, and banana flour further strengthens demand from tourism-driven markets.

With tourism rebounding and diversifying, locally grown saba can shorten supply chains, stabilize prices, and ensure consistent quality for food service operators across Western Visayas.

A Call to Farmers

Agriculture stakeholders are encouraging more farmers to expand saba plantings as a practical response to market demand. The crop’s high starch content—comparable to potatoes—, ease of cultivation, and multiple end uses make it a strong candidate for value-adding and agro-processing initiatives.

By increasing saba production, Aklan can strengthen food security, support tourism-linked enterprises, and create sustainable farm incomes. With the right support—quality planting materials, farm training, and post-harvest facilities—saba banana can become a cornerstone crop that links countryside farms directly to the region’s thriving tourism economy.