PH can now export more mangoes to US
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This development presents an opportunity for mango-producing provinces like Ilocos Norte, Pangasinan, Isabela, Batangas and Tarlac in Luzon; Cebu and Iloilo in the Visayas; and Zamboanga del Norte, North Cotabato and Davao del Sur in Mindanao to export mangoes to the US.
Palawan, which was declared by USDA to be free from seed weevil, can still export mangoes to the US but only after having the products go through irradiation treatment.
Previously, only mangoes from Guimaras were recognized as weevil-free, and thus could be exported to the US. Mangoes grown from other parts of the country suspected to have weevils, except Palawan, could be exported only to Guam and Hawaii.
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr.
Said the ruling can help pave the way for more mango exports from the Philippines.
“The decision to expand the list of allowable mango-producing areas to export to the US to almost the entire Philippines can be expected to result in more investments in the sector and at the same time encourage new entrants to allow domestic production to fully satisfy demand,” he said.
He also said the Philippines has become a more attractive source of mangoes thanks to the USDA ruling.
"Other countries could also refer to this USDA recognition of the Philippines as weevil-free as a basis for adjusting their phytosanitary and importation requirements for our mangoes,” he said.
Aside from the US, the Philippines also exports mangoes to Japan and South Korea, which accounted for 29 percent or 5,363 metric tons of the total Philippine mango export volume of 18,440 metric tons in 2012.
The rest of the country’s fresh mangoes went to Hong Kong, China, Singapore, New Zealand, the Middle East and Canada, among other markets.
