Mango growers push for science-based support

MANILA, Philippines —  The country’s mango industry is calling for better science-based support for growers, enabling better soil sampling and assistance from government agencies.

The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) said mango industry stakeholders made the call following the first semestral meeting of the National Mango Action Team.

Participants adopted a resolution calling on the Bureau of Soils and Water Management to provide free soil sampling services for mango growers and farms nationwide.

The stakeholders said this could improve mango orchard management, “particularly in guiding fertilizer application, pruning practices and overall productivity. “

PCAF noted that the resolution would complement ongoing government initiatives on land suitability mapping and science-based farm management for high-value crops.

The Mango Suitability Mapping initiative seeks to integrate information such as weather conditions, rainfall patterns and soil characteristics in identifying suitable production areas for mango production.

The PCAF meeting also focused on the updating of the Philippine Mango Industry Roadmap, set for finalization and national launch by July 17.

The agency said that it had conducted interviews with 65 value chain actors and 15 agencies. It held focus group discussions with 13 participants, including three exporters and 10 government agencies.

The meeting also focused on potential support and collaboration to improve the productivity, sustainability and improving the market competitiveness of the country’s mango industry.

Stakeholders also urged for better participation in future research planning and budgeting activities.

Also discussed were plans to improve capacity building for mango growers, nursery accreditation and safe use of pesticides.