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Archives
May 16-31, 2000
Guimaras: mango country
by Thea Kristina M. Pabuayon
One of the fastest growing fruit industries
in the Philippines today is mango. Presently, the country
ranks No. 6 in Asia and No.9 in the world, accounting
for 3.3% and 2.3% of total mango production, respectively.
Large domestic markets, which require
at least 90% of the mango produce, as well as the country's
strategic geographical location, contribute to the further
development and boom of this industry. To date, the
most recognized Philippine mango variety in the world
is the Carabao mango. Producers are continuously improving
and developing it as a top commecial crop.
At the forefront of developing the country's
mango industry is the National Mango Research and Development
Center (NMRDC) under the Department of Agriculture -
Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI).
The NMRC was established in 1969 in the
municipality of San Miguel, Jordan in Guimaras Island,
one of the country's top mango-producing provinces.
According to NMRDC head Hernani Golez, the center "spearheads
the development and adoption of cost-effective and environment-friendly
technologies to increase the productivity of small mango
growers and develop the industry system through total
quality management."
Total Quality Management involves research
on production technologies, production and distribution
of quality planting materials and extension work such
as information dissemination.campaign, and sponsorship
of diferent mango festivities related to mango production.
One of the more popular mango events in
the province of Guimaras, the Manggahan Festival, was
held recently. This annual event is an eight-day long
celebration, which feature varied and spectacular activities
that depict the province's attractions, cultural heritage,
specila events, products and services. The main aim
of the event, however, was the promotion of the provinces
as the "Mango country."
NMRDC and Guimaras' Mango Industry
The province of Guimaras is part of Western
Visayas and is located southeast of Panay island and
northwest of Negros. Its total land area of 60,465 hectares
is divided into five municipalities namely Buenavista,
Jordan, Nueva valencia, San Lorenzo and Sibunag.
The island is basically an agricultural
province planted to coconut, rice and mango. At present,
vast tracks of land are now being developed for mango
which ranks as the island's third most important crop
and takes up 16% of the island's total agricultural
area.
NMRDC has helped advance the island's
present mango production. Because of the Center's continued
research and support on production and technology, Guimaras
now boasts of being the only province in the contry
certified free of quarantine pests, mango seed weevil,
and mango pulp weevil. Moreover, it is only province
capable of exporting high-quality mangoes to Australia
and the United States.
As of 1999, the number of mango-bearing
trees in Guimaras totaled to 130,000. At a seasonal
harvest of 16,000 metric tons, this constitutes 2.6%
of the country's total mango produce and 20% of western
Visayas'. Other local varieties such as the Pico, Katchamitha,
and Pahutan are also being developed for the local and
foreign markets. 
May 16-31 2000 Articles: ::
RP,
China forge stronger S&T ties
::
Committee
calls for revisions in scientific career system guidelines
::
Senior
scientists advisory committee holds 1st meeting
::
Guimaras: mango country
::
R&D
jumps into information technology bandwagon
::: More May 2000 articles :::
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