New study seen to open up more export opportunities for RP mango

The Philippines boosts its chances of expanding mango exports to the US with new research findings showing the country is free of mango pulp weevil and mango seed weevil pests.

Sources from the private sector-led National Mango Action Team said the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) will soon be presenting to the Department of Agriculture, results of a research study indicating the absence of these diseases in mangoes grown from the Philippines.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said previously it will only consider allowing the shipment of mangoes grown outside the Guimaras Island if and when the Philippines replaces the vapor heat treatment (VHT) of mangoes with a more expensive irradiation facility to treat and rid mangoes intended for exports of mango seed weevil and mango pulp weevil disease.

There is no account of any pest introduced in the country for more than 10 years but there are existing pests of economic significance to domestic and international quarantine and these include mango pulp weevil and mango seed weevil.

Mango pulp weevil was first detected in Palawan in the 1980s but the island has since been placed under quarantine. The situation has limited the export of Philippine mangoes to the US and Australia. These important overseas markets have specifically required exports only from recognized pest-free area, which is the Guimaras Island consequently losing potential export earnings for Philippine farmers from other areas in the country that are known to be free from both diseases. All mangoes coming from all parts of the country except Palawan, have gained entry in Japan, Korea, New Zealand, China, EU, Canada, Middle East, among others.

Mango pulp weevil, also known as mango flesh weevil infests mango pulp and causes fruit drop and renders the mango fruit unsaleable.

Mango seed weevil, also known as mango stone weevil is a pest specific to mangoes. It can degrade pulp and juice quality but it more of a pest of quarantine significance.

The new favorable results of the BPI study however, increases the chances of exporting mangoes coming from areas outside of Guimaras.

The DA, through the Bureau of Agricultural Research also came up with a study on the geographic suitability and investment potential of mango in the Philippines and identified the top 25 most suitable areas for growing mango.

Most Philippine mango exporters prefer to use the VHT method of treating mangoes because it will be more expensive to put up an irradiation facility in the country.

At the same time, adopting irradiation technology is in question especially in the wake of strong lobbies being waged by US consumer groups against consumption of irradiated food products.

The DA’s project development studies (PDS) is currently studying the viability of setting up a food irradiation facility to boost the country’s exports of tropical fruits such as mangoes, and meet the USDA’s sanitary and pythosanitary measures.

Food irradiation is the exposure of food to ionizing radiation intended to eliminate pests and bacteria.

The US promotes food irradiation under the Food for Peace program which aims to develop civilian application of nuclear technology. US-based companies GrayStar and Surebeam were among those proposing to build the first commercial food irradiation facility in the Philippines.

DA estimates cost of a commercial-scale food irradiation facility to range between $3 million to $5 million.