Mango industry group leaders met with Agriculture Secretary Manny F. Piñol at the DA Central Office in Quezon City on June 3, 2019, to seek help on the oversupply of mangoes due to the seasonal harvest.

“We felt the impact of the oversupply when the buying price dropped to 14-16 pesos per kilo which is even lower than our production cost,” the mango producers shared.

In the middle of the discussion, a mango processor shared that the shelf life of the excess produce can be extended through processing.

“Through aseptic processing, we can extend the shelf life up to 12 months while it can be stored for 24 months through freezing,” the mango processors added.

After hearing the challenges faced by the mango stakeholders, Piñol immediately organized a marketing program dubbed “Metro Mango”, a series of selling events for the Philippine mangoes.

The said initiative aims to provide other avenues for the producers to market their harvests around Metro Manila, thereby cushioning the impact of the oversupply.

Piñol reminded the producers that they should not just be suppliers of raw materials but processors and marketers of their produce as well.

“Tell me what you need to achieve and the DA will support you,” he said. ### (Carlos Cezar Baldosa, DA-AFID)