YEAR-ROUND MANGOES. The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the municipality of San Pascual, Batangas are building a mango processing facility. DA-Calabarzon focal person Glenn Alianza on Friday (May 17, 2024) said the facility will allow local mango farmers to sell their products even when their crops are out of season. (PNA file photo)
SAN PASCUAL, Batangas – A facility for processing fresh fruits into preserves and dried fruit is being built here to provide local mango farmers with a steady source of income even during times of the year when their crops are out of season.
The PHP2-million mango processing plant will be the fruit of a partnership between the Department of Agriculture in Calabarzon (DA-4A) and the municipality.
In an interview on Friday, Glenn Alianza, mango focal person of DA-4A, said the project will help the local mango industry by minimizing their loss during the peak season, when prices are low but there is a surplus in supply.
He noted that a substantial quantity of the mangoes harvested goes to waste through spoilage or are left unsold.
“By processing surplus, it will give farmers an alternative on how to market their produce and thereby providing value adding to the commodity,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
He said the facility will be turned over to the Batangas Mango Growers' Association once completed.
San Pascual municipality provided the land where the facility will be built while the DA will provide the technology and related equipment, he said.
He said training and inputs to farmers is also set to be conducted through the mango rehabilitation program under the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP)
The HVCDP, which was created under Republic Act 7900, the High Value Crops Development Act, aims to deliver appropriate services, promote access to local and international markets, and ensure proactive management actions on the demand and supply situation.
This effort will help mango growers to process, preserve, and prevent the wastage of excess mango harvest.
Meanwhile, other interventions to be provided include processing equipment, pasteurizers and juicers valued at PHP288,000.
DA-4A OIC-Regional Executive Director Fidel Libao underscored the project is not only for San Pascual mango growers but for the entire province.
“The department is ready to help as much as possible to further develop the said industry,” he said. (PNA)
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