A South Korean business group is interested in importing 50 tons per week of premium mangoes from key growing regions like Soccsksargen, Zambales and Guimaras, an order equivalent to the Philippines’ entire output of premium-grade fruit, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said.
“It’s a Korean business group that would like to buy all the premium mangoes that the Philippines can produce,” Mr. Piñol told reporters on Friday, following a meeting with the South Korean company which he identified as “Mega Farm,” details of which were not immediately available after an Internet search.
“Mega Farm will engage the farmers to produce for it. The company will provide VHT (Vapor Heat Treatment)… technology and marketing,” Mr. Piñol added.
A 50-ton per week order for premium mangoes is equivalent to 600 tons per quarter or 2,400 tons per year.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the entire Philippine mango crop, including non-premium fruit, amounted to 528.49 thousand metric tons in the three months to June, down 3.3% from a year earlier.
The PSA does not indicate which portion of the crop was accounted for by premium mangoes. The very best fruit, without blemishes, is sold in rich-world markets for high markups, while non-premium fruit is typically reserved for food processors or the domestic market.
PSA said the decline in output during the quarter was due to a reduced harvest due to unfavorable rains in the Ilocos Region and Zamboanga Peninsula “and adverse effect of cecid fly in the former region, both during flowering stage.”
PSA said the Ilocos Region was the top producer of mangoes for that period, accounting for 21.13% of total national production, followed by Zamboanga Peninsula at 11.2% and Central Visayas with 9.2% respectively.
The carabao mango accounted for 423.36 thousand metric tons, or about 80.1% of total production.