Tags: Agribusiness, Horticulture
By Alexander Villafania
IBA, ZAMBALES – Aside from being the “national fruit”, mangoes rank among the signature agricultural products from the Philippines. The fruit is well-entrenched in Filipino culture and is processed into a variety of products such as jams, chips, purees, mango preserves, and dried mangoes.
According to the Department of Agriculture the Philippines is the sixth largest producer of mangoes and contributes to about four percent of the global mango production. Mangoes also contribute an average of P12.5 billion in growth value added (GVA) for the Philippines. Because of its large distribution and contribution to the economy, the mango has been identified as the country’s national fruit.
Such is the size of the mango business in the Philippines that mango orchards are being put up as backyard farms or as large-scale producers. While mango orchards are present in most provinces, these only have two harvestings per year. Only a few places produce mangoes all year round, such as the province of Zambales, Guimaras and Sarangani which are among the biggest producers of mangoes.
While mango types are associated with a particular region in the Philippines, most of these come from the carabao variety, which are cultivated to make them resilient to the Philippine climate. It is also the best type of mango to cultivate as it is available year-round. It’s also been thought that the carabao mango is the sweetest fruit in the world.
But even with a strong mango industry, there are also concerns about the viability of the business. The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) identified several concerns facing the industry, which includes lack of a long-distance shipping system for distribution. There is apparently low harvest percentage that also lessens the quality of exportable harvest.
A report on the situation of the mango industry was submitted to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Also, the blog Agriculture.ph cites these problems, particularly on bad farming practices.
Programs are underway to help improve the yield of mango farmers, one of which is through irradiation, which strengthens the resiliency of mango trees against inclement weather. Of course, there are still traditional methods such as natural breeding of new varieties.
Still, mango farming remains to be a viable, long-term business. There are several website that offer tips for those wanting to get into the business, either as backyard farmers or as mass producers. EntrePinoys Atbp has several guides on how to put up a mango business.
The Department of Agriculture has similar online information as well as hands-on training programs for would-be mango farmers. Just the same, mango farming is indeed a big business and Filipinos will continue enjoying this golden yellow treasure.
Marketman of Market Manila wrote a nice article about dried mangoes. Another blogger Sharlyne An had a taste of the innovative green mango yoghurt.
Photos taken from the PCARRD website
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