TWENTY-SIX percent is Zamboanga Peninsula’s contribution to the Philippine mango production in 2018, according to record of the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The figure was disclosed in the recently concluded 1st Mindanao Mango Summit held in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.
Philippines produced 27.62 thousand metric tons of mango in 2018, marking up an increase of 131 metric tons from the 2017 production.
Zamboanga Peninsula produced 7,189 metric tons, making the region as the largest mango producer in the country.
Caraga ranked second with 6,000 metric tons, and Northern Mindanao with four thousand metric tons of mango production.
Ludwig Adaza Sr., president of the Zamboanga del Norte Mango Producers Association and United Mindanao Mango Growers Association Inc., said the aim of the mango summit is to address the issues besetting the mango producers and processors of Mindanao in order to improve its competitive advantage and help propel the competitive edge of the Philippine mango industry.
“Our theme ‘Confronting tomorrow’s challenges of the Mango Industry in Mindanao’ focuses on bringing up our issues we face and we want to propose measures to address these challenges as mango producers,” Adaza said.
Keynote speakers President Rodrigo Duterte and Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol were represented by Agriculture Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit, Evelyn G. Laviña, who encouraged the mango growers to not looking back on the spilled water, instead focusing on how to refill it.
“(The Mango) Roadmap is useless if there’s no commitment from one another. We have to help each other. We failed before, then be it. Let’s work together now,” Laviña said.
She said there are five things to always consider in achieving success. “Set an individual goal, Cooperate on the goal of the association, Reckon sustainability, Apply Good Agricultural Practices for smart agriculture and last always Identify and recognize the role of women in the organization.”
The three-day summit was also participated in by Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation, discussing insurance policies that mango growers can avail and extent of coverage; Agricultural Credit Policy Council; Landbank of the Philippines for the Department of Agriculture (DA)-Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund; Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), discussing promotion and marketing opportunities for mango; and other private fertilizer distributors advocating friendly products for mango pests and diseases control.
During the open forum, Laviña answered the queries from mango growers commonly directed to loan assistances because of El Niño phenomenon, resulting in farmer’s decrease in the harvest.
Present in the event were DA-Zamboanga Peninsula Executive Director Dr. Dennis H. Palabrica, PCIC Regional Manager Charlito Brilleta, MinDA Investment Promotion and International Relations Office Director Olie Dagala, and Dapitan City Councilor Christopher Mah.
Palabrica expressed his gratitude to all for the support in the conduct of the 1st Mindanao Mango Summit.
He said the DA continues to support mango farmers in the region through the High Value Crops Development Porgram, and that the mango summit is one avenue to strengthen the unity of the mango growers and other stakeholders in the region. (PR)