DA mulls reviving CV mango industry

CEBU, Philippines - Stakeholders are looking to revive the mango industry in Central Visayas particularly in Cebu.

The Department of Agriculture recently conducted a consultative meeting with the local government units in Cebu province on the Mango Productivity Enhancement Project.

The project seeks to help rehabilitate and strengthen again the region's mango industry.

Mango is deemed as a promising commodity of the region as it has comparative advantages with other high-value crops.

Wilberto Castillo, regional mango coordinator at DA in Region 7, said that some mango processors have incurred losses due to lack of raw supplies of mangoes for processing.

He said that offset the losses, these processors opted to get raw supplies from other Southeast Asian countries.

He noted that about 73 percent of the mango production area is below 3 hectares for backyard plantation while 23 percent is above 3 hectares for commercial purposes.

Based on a 2014 data, the Philippines ranked 10th in terms of production, with India ranking first.

The country also ranked second as a mango exporting country, with Mexico ranking first.

The dwindling production volume of mango is threatening the upbeat export market for processed mango products.

The government has been urged to help farmers and capacitate them financially for them to be able to produce more mangoes for meet the rising demand from mango processors.

Since the problem is sustainability, local farmers need to produce more mangoes, considering that the demand for processed mango products both locally and overseas is consistently rising.

Philippine Super Mango is the brand name of the country's mango. 

According to a 2013 study of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Philippine mango is well known worldwide for superior taste, which carries over into the 11 processed product. (FREEMAN)