Mango forum slated in Guimaras

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The Fourth Regional Mango Stakeholders Forum will take place on August 23 at Guimaras State College Agri Ecotourism Convention Center in Buenavista.

Agriculture secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, during his Biyaheng Bukid here on Aug. 8, said that the forum aims to craft the five-year roadmap for the Philippine Mango Development.

Around 150 mango growers, exporters, processors, and industry leaders from the six provinces of Western Visayas will gather and discuss salient plans for the advancement of the mango industry in the region.

According to Department of Agriculture (DA) 6 Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter, the forum seeks to address industry problems including the lack of mango supply and drastic drop in the volume of production, and to identify interventions to sustain its growth.

Among the topics to be discussed are the Philippine Mango Industry Situation: Supply and Demand, Issues, Concerns and Initiatives, Postharvest Application for Mango to Extend Shelf Life, Best Mango Production Technology and Cultural Practices in Mindanao, Demand of Fresh Mangoes for Processing and Exporting, Control of Cecid Flies, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues on Mango Exportation, DA and Land Bank of the Philippines credit programs for mango fruit production, Crop Insurance, Philippine Rural Development Project for Mango Development, among others.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority reveals that Ilocos Region topped all the mango producing regions with 59.99 thousand metric tons contributing 55.6 percent to the national.

Meanwhile, Central Luzon with 18.4 percent and Western Visayas with 5.8 percent contribution ranked second and third, respectively.

The forum to be held tomorrow in the home of the world's sweetest mangoes is the last leg of the National Mango Stakeholders Forum which was already conducted in Davao City, Pangasinan, and Cebu City. [By SMHToreno, DA6 Information]

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