Thursday, April 26, 2007 4,500 has eyed for mango expansion in Davao Region
THE government is expanding this year areas planted with mango in Davao Region, eyeing at least 4,530 hectares all over the region.
Department of Agriculture-Amas director Francisco Ramos, who represented Secretary Arthur Yap, said this during the 1st Davao Mango Producers Conference at Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.
He said other regions in Mindanao are allotted 4,000 and the rest of the country, about 3,000 hectares.
Ednar Dayanghirang, mango producer and president of Davao Region Mango Contractors Association (Daremca), said they are supporting the plan of the government but stressed that expansions should be concentrated in Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Island Garden City of Samal and Davao City.
He said these are the areas they will recommend because of good weather condition all year round.
Ramos urged Daremca and other stakeholders to join in speeding up area expansion in order to boost the mango industry in Davao and Mindanao.
Mindanao being a typhoon free has a competitive advantage plus fertile farmlands with existing infrastructure facilities and logistics that would facilitate mango exports.
In 2006, Ramos said Mindanao produced some 195,000 tons of mango worth P3.75 billion which is 21 percent of national output at 919,000 metric tons or equivalent to P18.7 billion.
Davao's mango harvest is 17 percent of Mindanao's total output and 3.6 percent of national output.
Ramos said analyzing a four-year period output from 2003 to 2006, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics estimated that the region’s mango production increased by about 10 percent, from 30,560 tons in 2003 valued at P548.2 million to 33,510 tons last year worth P633,4 million.
He attributed the increase to more areas planted with mango, expanding by 6.7 percent from 8,472 hectares in 2003 to 9,038 hectares last year.
