High Value Crops: Mango Industry in the Philippines

Philippine Mango Industry Roadmap 2017-2022

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Where are we? At present, the mango industry comprises of few large farms (over 20 ha.), a

few hundreds of medium sized farms (2 to 5 ha.), and at least 1.9M of very small farms with an

average of 10 to 12 trees for a total equivalent area of 146,841 ha planted to Carabao mango.

Under this situation, only the larger or corporate farms can afford to operate their orchards

and produce fruits themselves. Majority of the small growers have to engage service

contractors (contract-sprayers) to spray and manage the fruiting of their trees, at terms

unprofitable to both parties in most localities.

The Philippines, which had earned a reputation for innovation in the mango world, has now

lagged behind in the world market and still wallowing in self-delusion as having the best

mango variety. The local yield of 4.1 mt/ha is way below the world average of 7.65 mt/ha and

is not even half that of Thailand with almost 8.20 mt/ha. Obviously, there is a lot of work to do

in order to catch up with other leading mango producers. Yield must be sustainably increased

and the quality of both fresh and processed products must be improved in order to be

competitive in the international markets.

Where do we want to go? The ideas, targets and proposed strategies gathered through the

regional cluster consultations were sorted out and organized in logical manner to address

various systemic constrains or specific commodity situation. For the Philippines to catch up

with Mexico and Thailand, the country must launch and sustain an aggressive breeding

program to develop dwarf varieties resistant to insect pests and diseases and with improved

export quality fruits. As a long-term investment strategy, the country should immediately

launch a sustainably well-funded and aggressive national mango development program that

will address the short-term and long-term research and development needs of the mango

industry. Mango farmers must immediately adopt the best technology available (e.g.

Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Postharvest Quality Management (PQM) to reverse

the declining productivity by investing in strategic rehabilitation of unproductive mango trees

and in improving post-harvest handling system to increase the production of export quality

and safe mangoes.

How do we get there? The mango program is basically a private sector undertaking. The

industry has a major program on rehabilitation of unproductive mango trees where the private

sector would do most of the work and put up the necessary cost. What is urgently needed is

support from the government in the form of inputs such as fertilizers and crop protection

chemicals. With the expected increase in production, the industry also expects government

support for post-harvest and processing facilities. The other requirements such as breeding or

development of improved varieties, management of insect pests especially cecid fly (kurikong)

and diseases, and product utilization of seasonal surplus are long-term and systemic in nature,

for which the government is expected to provide sustained funding support.

I. INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is complying with the guidance and has initiated road

mapping activities among its agencies. The Agriculture Sector Roadmap will be anchored on

Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) and the Philippine Development Plan

(PDP).

This Mango Industry Roadmap is part of the High Value Crops (HVC) Subsector Roadmap

which outlines how the Philippines can address three major challenges, to wit:

a) at the national level, achieving self - sufficiency while lifting farmers from poverty;

b) at the regional level, preparing for the advent of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC);

and

c) at the global level, adapting to climate change.

As the industry is on the decline, there was a felt urgency to reverse the trend and revitalize

the industry. There was also a clamor to develop long term strategy for export

competitiveness.

Objectives

The general objective was to update/prepare the Mango roadmap aiming at survival of mango

producers and increase resiliency to climate change; providing safe nutritious, affordable and

accessible products to consumers throughout the year; providing opportunities for all

segments in the value chain to modernize and be globally competitive and strengthening

foothold in export markets where Philippines has competitive advantage.

The specific objectives were to:

 Provide a profile, prospects and trends of the mango industry including current

situation and environment, global and domestic and relevant benchmarks on

production technology and costs, competitive measures and other trends;

 Analyze the mango supply/value chain;

 Set goals and objectives which will operationally flesh out the shared vision, quantify

targets along a timeline with indicators of production, resource and cost efficiency and

competitiveness; the rationale and directions of the proposed strategies and programs;

and

 Recommend strategies, programs, budgetary and other resource requirements to

achieve the set goals, objectives, and targets.

HVCDP

Today, mango is the third most important fruit crop in the Philippines next to banana

and pineapple. Its importance does not only come from the export side. Mango is the

Philippine national fruit, loved by the Filipino people eaten as fresh, processed as flavorings

to ice creams and pastries and other delicacies.

There are three well known variety of mango in the Philippines and these are Carabao

mango, Pico and Katchamita (also known as Indian Mango). However, Carabao is the

dominant variety that is widely grown throughout the country and is the sole exported

variety.

Philippines is blessed to have lands and climate that favor the cultivation of one of the

best mango variety in the world which is the “Philippine Carabao Mango” and other

indigenous and introduced varieties, strains and selections. During the last several years,

however, the volume of production and yield of mango have significantly deteriorated.

Furthermore, the volume of export-quality fresh mangoes remains very low at less than 5

percent. This alarming situation, coupled with increasing cost of production prompted

many growers to abandon their mango orchards or planted them to other crops or uses.

There are many factors that contribute to this trend. Among them are typhoon, rainfall,

insect pests, diseases and inadequate orchard management. Another single most important

reason is the lack of strategic and long-term research and development efforts leading to

the development of innovative technology that can enhance competitiveness of the mango

industry in local and export markets.

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