Japan firm buying Philippine mangoes

MANILA, Philippines — A Japanese company has expressed interest to purchase up to 100 metric tons of mangoes amid an oversupply in the Philippines.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, who is in Japan right now, said Diamond Star Corp. is buying 100 MT of mangoes from the Philippines this season.

“Diamond Star signified intent to buy a huge volume of mangoes through Philippine Agriculture attache to Japan Dr. Samuel Animas this week,” he said.

Diamond Star has been importing papayas, pineapple, bananas and even turnips from the Philippines.

It started with a papaya plantation and packing shed. It eventually pioneered the development of vapor heat treatment system to prevent the proliferation of diseases and pests for fruit exports.

The Department of Agriculture will also arrange a meeting between the Japanese importers and the mango farmers from Luzon.

Mango production has increased this season with an estimated surplus harvest of two million kilos.

The DA will begin next week a marketing program where it will open up outlets all over Metro Manila to sell mangoes for as low as P50 per kilo.

Apart from selling the mangoes in Metro Manila, DA will also link up farmers with processors who already expressed interest to buy some of the excess produce.

“We will also loan to farmers for their processing fees and eventually encourage them to come up with their own processing facilities at the community level,” Piñol said.

“We also have to develop our market monitoring system and market absorptive capacity. By next year, we will have to meet early and project our production to ensure market for the produce,” he said.