THE Department of Agriculture said a five-year road map to develop the mango industry is due for completion by year’s end.
“The Road Map is expected to be finished before the end of the year and will outline the programs to be implemented so that the country will regain its status as the producer of the best mango in the world,” said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol in a social media post on Monday.
The road map will include the input of five regional consultations conducted under the High Value Crops Program aimed at rehabilitating the mango industry.
The agency said that mango output in the Philippines has been declining amid increasing demand for the fruit worldwide.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that mango production declined to 814,000 metric tons (MT) from 902,700 MT in 2016.
Since at least 2011, however, the production of the fruit has been generally rising. That year output was 788,100 MT.
In the first three months of the year, production of mango fell 8% year on year to 107,830 MT due to infestation from the capsid bug and cecid fly in Zambales which resulted in poor fruit quality and premature fruit drop.
Mango is one of the leading export commodities of the Philippines. — Janina C. Lim
