Mango exports a billion dollar enterprise

Recent trade statistics have continuously echoed what many agriculture experts have been saying all this time. Export variety Philippine Super Mangoes have the capability of boosting the country’s export revenues.

Currently averaging 44,687 metric tons valued at $40.4 million, the Philippines ranks 6th in ASEAN and 9th in the world export market.

These export quantities primarily address the needs of our immediate neighbors. Sixty-five percent of our mango exports go to Hong Kong, 16 percent to Japan and less than one percent to Singapore. Other markets such as China, with a formidable 1.2 billion consumers, the United States and Europe have opened their doors to our mango exports because of various technologies that have certified that the Guimaras Super Mango to be seed and pulp weevil free and, because of vapor heat treatment technology, fruit fly free.

The future of the Manila Super looks incredibly promising. With a meager 2.5 percent share in the world market largely due to lack in supply, the country would need to allocate an additional 300,000 hectares or 50 million mango trees just to double its stake in the world market. As is quite obvious, for the country to meet the global demand by just five percent, we would need to start planting, nurturing, and eventually harvesting Manila Super mangoes – large scale.

An orchard marketing and management company has come forward to take on the challenge. Good Harvest Orchards Marketing Corporation (Good Harvest) is an agriculture-based marketing corporation that merges the principle of mango farming and exporting of Department of Agriculture (DA) certified Philippine Super Mangoes with that of an innovative marketing master plan designed to make it available to everyone; whether they are direct partners, both local and international or micro-entrepreneurs.

Their objective is to plant and nurture one million DA-certified Manila Super mangoes in a span of five to eight years to help significantly address the world market demand. Former Department of Agriculture Undersecretary and now Technical Director for Good Harvest Rey Abella explains: "This is a huge challenge for us but we believe that the rewards for us and our business partners will be ten fold. To plant a million trees entails a unique system which capitalizes on various levels of synergy from foreign and local partners to infusing company resources, to micro-entrepreneurs.

The master plan is to allot 40 percent of the million trees specifically for company infused investments, and then allocate 30 percent for direct partnerships with both foreign and local investors, and another 30 percent for direct sales. Of the allocation for direct sales, another 30 percent shall be given to those who would join the optional and free cooperative referral program. All these factors need to be in place if we are to achieve the most conservative of targets.