Thursday, May 18, 2006
Mindanao fruit processors expand operations to meet market demands
HEEDING importers' call for more Philippine-produced fruits, Mindanao fruit growers and processors are expanding operations, in anticipation of a more robust export market.
As global demand for fresh Philippine carabao mangoes grows, "we are looking for other possibilities to venture and further penetrate other potential markets, both locally and internationally," said Ruby dela Dingco of Diamond Star, an exporter of fresh mangoes.
This year, Diamond Star plans to increase fresh mango production, and is keen on expanding its dried mango venture.
Mango processors are either creating or expanding operations on the island, including Profood International Corporation, a Cebu-based processed mango exporter, which operates a multi-line plant in Davao City, the Consunji-owned Sirawan Foods, which runs a medium-sized processing facility in Davao, Motherland Food Products and the Amley Food Corporation in Cagayan de Oro City.
Further, major fresh mango exporters based in Metro Manila are expanding their sourcing and consolidation operations in Mindanao. These include Diamond Star, MarsmanPelican, DHM and Hi-Las, which maintain buying stations and agent-representative offices in Davao, General Santos and Cagayan de Oro.
The mango growers are preparing themselves to comply with stricter food safety requirements imposed recently by foreign countries, particularly Japan, according to Benjamin Roy, Mindanao Fruit Industry (Minfruit) Council executive director.
Established in 1999 to improve the region's tropical fruit industry, the Minfruit Council is a business support organization assisted by the US Agency for International Development (Usaid)-funded Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, which is being implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco).
Unlike the case in prior years, mango growers and exporters are more careful not to surpass the maximum residue limit (MRL) of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, to ensure compliance with newly imposed regulations of the Government of Japan.
Chlorpyrifos is an ingredient of agrochemicals used by farmers to control mango leafhoppers and other pests.
Mango farmers must be meticulous when applying crop protection chemicals such as Chlorpyrifos, said Roy.
He cautioned that farmers must follow recommended procedures, particularly regarding the judicious and timely use of agrochemicals on mangoes for export.
"We will work closely with mango processors and exporters, and concerned government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI), to ensure that the maximum allowable level of Chlorpyrifos MRL is not exceeded.
Otherwise, we might lose the Japanese market and everybody loses," Roy stressed.
Japan is one of the country's major importers of fresh mangoes. The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) indicated that Japan's contribution to total export earnings rose from about 52 percent in 2003 to about 60 percent in 2004.
Hong Kong contributed 31 percent in 2003 and 24 percent in 2004.
With the support of the Usaid's GEM Program, the Minfruit Council is conducting a series of training programs on good agricultural practices (GAP) for farmers in several mango-producing provinces in Mindanao.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 18, 2006 issue)
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