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Friday, April 29, 2005
Perez: Ondo Teves, Mango 'Magsasaka Siyentista'
By Joy G. Perez
Sensitivity
NOWADAYS as you travel by land in the island of Negros, you will see a number of mango plantations. Many of the mango trees are fruit-bearing even though the trees are still young.
Do you know that in Negros Oriental, there is a person named as "Magsasaka Siyentista" or farmer-scientist for mango crop by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD)?
This "Magsasaka Siyentista" is Winifredo Teves, popularly known as "Ondo, who practices diversified farming. Aside from the family's mango plantation of some 500 mango trees, 50 percent of which are fruit-bearing, Teves maintains a vast vegetable farm, areas planted to coconuts, fruit trees, and a rice farm.
Aside from being a mango grower, Teves is a Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member of the Municipality of Amlan, Negros Oriental. A busy person, this farmer-politician has time to give lectures to farmers and mango growers in the province whenever they need his help.
The Department of Agriculture in the province often recommends him as a resource person whenever there is a seminar or forum on mango.
Last year, the Central Visayas Consortium for Integrated Regional Research and Development (CV-CIRRD) held a Techno-Forum on Mango at his farm in Bio-os, Amlan with 30 mango growers participating.
The original schedule was April, but the final on took place on May 4, 2004. CV-CIRRD's Regional Applied Communication Office (RACO) and Techno-Gabay Program closely coordinated with the Negros oriental Provincial Agriculturist's Office to conduct the Techno-Forum on Mango. The main resource person was Ondo Teves.
His experiences on mango growing were noted down by the CV-CIRRD secretariat and were later produced into a brochure to guide present and future mango growers in the province.
The brochure is titled "Tips in Growing Mango Trees". The topics include, planting, fertilization, pruning, flowering, fruit care and maintenance, as well as harvesting, care, and maintenance of mango trees after harvest, marketing, and his practical suggestions and recommendations.
The brochure is produced by CV-CIRRD's RACO through the Science and Technology Program on Mango of PCARRD, Department of Science and Technology.
Teves noted that after harvesting, mango trees must be pruned (old and dried leaves and stalks must be removed), and application of fertilizer must be done to allow formation of new shoots and leaves (flushing) in preparation for the next season.
Concerning market, he said, "Mango fruits can be sold directly to the market or you can get buyers in the local market to go to the farm site."
The following are his suggestions and recommendations: Form a mango growers association in every town in the province with the DA spearheading the association; link the association with direct mango buyers in Cebu or Manila.
In this case, marketing of mango fruits will improve and eliminate middlemen; disseminate updates on mango production to mango growers through brochures, pamphlets or leaflets, and regular seminars or trainings.
The government, particularly the local government unit must come up with strategies to form and strengthen each mango grower association and help members not only on the marketing aspect but also to provide facilities and equipment for the best post harvest handling production and processing of mango fruits in the province.
(April 21, 2005 issue)
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