MANGO growers and producers in Negros Occidental are urged to do value-adding as a practical and profitable alternative to generate income from surplus of supply especially now that prices are low.
Provincial Commodity Coordinator Marjo Balinas of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said value-adding is a potential back-up support for local growers to extend income opportunity, particularly those experiencing business losses due to cheaper prices of mango fruit as a primary product.
Balinas said that when prices drop from farmgate to market as a result of surplus, mangoes can be processed into jam, dried mangoes, and other products for value-adding.
To equip mango farmers with the skills and knowledge in value-adding, a training on mango fruit processing will be conducted by the Agricultural Training Industry (ATI) in the province this week.
About 30 local mango growers and producers will attend the training aimed at teaching them the strategies on how to dispose and sell products even during off-season when prices are competitive and high.
"We need more processing technology," Balinas said, pointing out the lack of post-harvest mechanization facilities like weather dryer and packaging equipment in Negros Occidental.
Mango production area in Negros Occidental has decreased by 50 to 200 hectares due to land conversion for sugarcane.
The largest mango plantations in the province are in San Carlos City and Valladolid town.
Although most growers in the province are supplying mango processing center Cebu, some of them also source out from Guimaras, Balinas said.