Wednesday, March 05, 2008 Mango export to China seen to expand this year
SALES of Philippine mangoes to China are expected to increase this year with the recent acceptance of a cheaper heat treatment.
Through the Extended Hot Water Treatment (EHWT), farmers have a better and affordable alternative to the Vapor Heat Treatment (VHT), which is the usual requirement for mangoes to be exported to other countries such as Japan.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Arthur Yap said the EHWT, which had been perfected by the DA's Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the University of the Philippines, Los Baños (UPLB), will cut down the cost of exporting mangoes to China by at least P20 a kilo, thus spelling higher profits for Filipino exporters in the world's largest food market.
"We are happy to note this positive development, which was made possible by the successful trials of the BPI and the other institutions," Yap said.
"This is a big step towards gaining direct market access for Philippine tropical fruits into China's highly lucrative $1 billion fruit market," he added.
Yap said China's approval of the Philippines' EHWT technology signifies its acceptance of the DA's sanitary and phytosanitary measures for disinfection against fruit fly in mangoes.
Philippine mango exports to China in 2007 reached only 634.33 metric tons (MT), which Yap expects to rise significantly starting this year as a result of Beijing 's approval of the EWHT technology.
Through EHWT, fruitfly infestation is controlled by dipping green mature fruits to hot water until the pulp temperature of 460C is reached. The time of dipping would vary depending on size of the fruit.
Small fruits would require only 38 minutes, while medium fruits require 44 minutes. Large fruits require dipping time of up to 53 minutes. One of the basic requirements for EHWT is the establishment of an insect proof treatment facility.
Yap noted that on top of helping penetrate the Chinese market, DA also spearheaded last year the mango pest surveys in Davao del Sur and the 36 mango-producing provinces of Luzon, funded by Australia and the United States respectively, which all yielded favorable outcomes.
As a result of the surveys, which showed Davao to be free of the mango pulp and seed weevil, the Philippines will soon export mangoes to Australia from Davao and other areas outside Guimaras province, he said.
