Philippines, Australia collaborate on quality improvement of Carabao mangoes

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Australia are collaborating to improve the export quality of Carabao mangoes.

Under the collaboration, the Philippines and Australia are identifying potential strategies to reduce fruit fly infestation and improve the yield and quality of Carabao mango through innovative area-wide management (AWM) approaches.

This is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) under its project “Development of area-wide management approaches for fruit flies in mango for Indonesia, Philippines Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region.”

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD), as one of the project’s key partners, serves as the Philippine counterpart of ACIAR in monitoring the project.

The project is implemented in three sites in Samal Island, Davao del Norte and Davao City.

“Significant outcomes of the project are set to increase the profits of mango growers, expand market access, and boost the mango industry, not only in the Philippines but the whole Asia-Pacific Region,” DOST-PCAARD said.

So far, with the integration of AWM, pest and disease control strategies, and best management practices, the agency said farmer cooperators showcased their mango fruits with promising qualities for export.

This is largely contributed by using recommended fruit bagging material by the farmer cooperators, which provided visible differences in the fruit quality as compared to the use of imported newspapers.

The use of the said fruit bagging material may also potentially reduce pesticide application.

DOST-PCAARD said a project team from the University of the Philippines Mindanao, led by Emma Ruth Bayogan, is  exploring the optimal number of uses for the fruit bagging material.

“This will determine the overall costs of its utilization in mango production. They are also working on improving postharvest handling systems, such as optimizing hot water treatment to prolong the shelf-life of quality mango,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAGRO) of Davao del Norte led by Juliet Cristina Zambrano is also intensifying its efforts to promote the utilization of the  bagging material, alongside implementation of good agricultural practices (GAP) through their partnerships with local farmer cooperatives.

Entomologist Celia Medina of UP Los Baños (UPLB) is spearheading the implementation of the fruit fly monitoring study to continuously assess fruit fly injury levels on the mango fruits produced.

“This study will serve as an indicator of the project’s success,” the DOST-PCAARD said.