Cebu farmers growing less mangoes; need gov’t support

Cebu’s mango supply is decreasing, forcing local processors who make dried mangos and mango puree to turn to other provinces for fruit supply.

Ruel Castillo, chief of the regional crop protection division of the Department of Agriculture, discussed the problem in yesterday’s Kapihan sa PIA forum.

“Dili sila ingon kadasig karon tungod sa gamay kaayo nga production sa mga mangga (They are not enthusiastic because of the decreasing supply of mangoes),” said Castillo.

He said the main causes for lower supply in Cebu were industrialization, pests, expensive farm inputs, and poor farm management.

He said this could be seen in the rampant use of chemical pesticides by farmers to induce the production of mango fruits that are out of season.

Castillo said farmers don’t feel motivated to cultivate mangoes because they are not well compensated for the harvest.

The DA said it is addressing the problem by conducting on-site trainings in different farms to teach good agricultural practices.

Virgie dela Fuente, Philippine Mango Industry Foundation president, urged the local government to support mango producers in their locality, especially in Cebu, which is known for having the best dried mangoes.

In an interview last Feb. 17 at the opening of his showroom in Mandaue city, Justin Uy, president of Profoods International Corp., which exports dried mangoes, said competition abroad makes its necessary to improve standards as well as supply.

“The mangoes here are not the same as what other countries produce. We have sweeter mangoes but the supply here is decreasing because many farmers just give up. There is a need to address this problem and the government should take the lead,” Uy said.

Cebu ranks 10th among mango producers in the country with a production of 290,000 metric tons, according to data provided by Dela Fuente.

Pangasinan tops the list with 36,000,000 metric tons produced in four months.

The Philippines ranks fifth in the world’s top 10 top mango producers. Mangoes are the third most exported fruits in the country.

The DA said it conducts trainings from one place or farm to another as a weekly event with farmers grouped by five.

“By day, they undergo a lecture and in the afternoon they do practicum. In these classes, farmers gain knowledge from planting to blossoming and to harvesting mangoes,” said Castillo.

In 2010, the government allocated P40 million for a two-year flower-inducing project, which would end this year, said Castillo.

The project trains farmers on how to produce flowers to bear fruit.

Central Visayas produced 71,000 metric tons of mangoes in 2010.

Most of the fruits came from Cebu followed by Negros Oriental, Bohol and Siquijor provinces.

Cebu has 300,000 mango trees supplying the market, said Castillo.