Bananas yellow green

Bananas are back in the spotlight for the 2014 International Banana Symposium and 16th Davao Trade Expo (DATE) in the Philippines this November.

Industry professionals will gather in Davao City from 19-22 November for the three-day conference and trade show focusing on this year’s theme, ‘Davao: from local agriculture to global agribusiness’.

Throughout the event, conference breakout sessions will feature internationally renowned scientists and professionals from the banana industry, covering a range of topics from market opportunities to the latest technology and shipping trends. Since being rocked by typhoon Pablo in 2012, the Philippines has had to re-build its banana production and exports – a topic to be addressed at DATE, which will also look into where the Philippines’ banana industry future lies in the global market.

More than 300 delegates and 139 exhibitors are expected to attend the event at the SMX Convention Centre in Davao, which finishes with an industry tour of a banana plantation, shipping terminal and packaging facility.

The first International Banana Symposium took place in India in 2008, and since then has been hosted in China, Thailand and Taiwan.