Imee files 'fruit salad' bills

MANILA, Philippines — Aiming to protect and promote the pineapple, moringa, dragon fruit and mango industries, Sen. Imee Marcos filed what she calls the “fruit salad” bills before the Senate.

“I have fruit salad bills, dragon fruit, piña, banana and coco (coconut). We only have a few high-value crops and only some for export. (But, even these few) sometimes encounter issues on phytosanitary (protocols) of other countries,” she said partly in Filipino.

Now pending are Senate Bills 1256 (Pineapple Export Act of 2022), 1255 (Moringa Development Act), 1254 (Dragon Fruit Development Act) and 1253 (Mango Export Act of 2022) to call on authorities to protect and promote the respective industry.

For SB 1256, Marcos urged the government to plan, evaluate and promote pineapple for international export and establish a pineapple development council.

“Pineapples are one of the primary agricultural exports of the Philippines. As of 2021, the Philippines is the second exporter of pineapples, behind only Costa Rica. As of 2021, the Philippine Imports and Exports Statistics rank pineapples as the third biggest agricultural export of the country behind fresh banana and coconut oil,” she pointed out.

Mindful that pineapple farmers suffer losses due to infestation, she wanted the Department of Agriculture to provide the support they need in dealing with pests.

Marcos said the Philippines exported $760 million worth of pineapple products last year and most of these went to China, Japan, and Korea – the country’s largest export markets which account for 87 percent for this type of export.

“Looking at the industry trend, production of pineapples remains constant... There is also a lack of processing centers to produce processed pineapple goods like pineapple juice and canned pineapples. Given the perishability of the fresh product and the existing world demand for processed pineapple products, there is a need to further develop the processed pineapple sector in order to expand the market reach of the local pineapple produce, as only three percent of the processed pineapple of the Philippines reach the US market,” she noted.

As for SB 1255, Marcos is calling for the government to establish a comprehensive planning, development and export promotion for Moringa oleifera (locally known as malunggay).

“Known as the miracle vegetable and nature’s medicine cabinet by researchers and health professionals around the world, moringa is a powerhouse of nutritional value,” she said.

She noted that “moringa is used as a natural maternal and childcare food supplement, as well as in the management of different ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, aging issues and other lifestyle diseases.”

In October 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the value of moringa in its efforts against malnutrition, promoting it as a low-cost health enhancer in poor countries around the world.

In her proposal for a Dragon Fruit Development Act, Marcos want the government to establish a comprehensive planning, development and export promotion for dragon fruit.

Aside from being evaluated as a potential tool for cancer prevention and diabetes management and labeled as a superfood, dragon fruit is an industry on the upswing and the Philippines should have comprehensive planning, development and export promotion of the crop, Marcos said.

Marcos filed Senate Bill 1254 or an act urging the comprehensive planning, development and export promotion of the dragon fruit, locally known as Saniata or Pitahaya Asia, a high-value crop that is rapidly gaining a reputation as a superfood.

The senator said dragon fruit is rich in fiber, phytoalbumins and antioxidants and, as such, is being evaluated as a potential tool for cancer prevention and diabetes management.

From 2016 to 2019, its year-on-year growth was at 20 percent per annum with an estimated size of $ 1.6 billion. Its major producers are Vietnam, China, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Its main producing regions here are Ilocos Norte, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, with 500 hectares devoted to the crop.

Despite the industry’s potential, Marcos’ bill stated that dragon fruit farming suffers from relatively low productivity of only 11 metric tons per hectare per year, compared to Vietnam’s production of up to 35 metric tons per hectare per year.

“This is due to our dragon fruit farmers lacking the needed training, technology and overall knowledge of production to maximize their yield. In particular, there is a need to develop a standard planting protocol, establish an accredited source of healthy planting material, provide training programs for local farmers, support the establishment of post-harvesting facilities equipped with the necessary sanitary and phytosanitary processing and packaging machines, secure funding for the development of processing areas, facilitate market access for both domestic and international markets and assist local government units in promoting the production, process and trading of dragon fruit,” Marcos said.

As for her Mango Export Act of 2002, the senator is calling on the government to establish a comprehensive planning, development and export promotion for the product.

“The industry is suffering from problems related to economies of scale, as it is dominated by farmers with small landholdings. Aggregation problems in meeting the output demand of exporters are hence predictable. Further, the lack of processing equipment and capacity for the production of mango puree and other processed products hinder the growth of the processed sector,” she said.

Marcos noted that the “carabao” mango, internationally known as the Manila Super Mango, is widely known as one of the best varieties of mango due to its superior quality and taste.

“It is listed as the sweetest in the world by the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records. As of 2019, global trade in fresh and dried mango totaled $2 billion. Mexico is the world’s biggest mango exporter, followed by Peru, Brazil, India and Thailand,” she noted.

“Sadly, despite its fame and quality, the Philippine mango has failed to date to break into this huge international market. While mangoes can be produced in most parts of the country, less than three percent of the present domestic produce is exported,” she said.

She added that output has remained fairly stable from 2018 to 2021 while its acreage also remained stable at 185,607 hectares. The number of trees is counted at 9,427,494 in 2018. It slightly grew last year with a total of 9,432,506.

The senator noted that access to the processed mango sector is critical, given the size of the puree market, valued at $995 million in 2017. This processed mango demand is projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2026.

She said the Philippines consistently had difficulty in complying with the stringent regulations of the major markets in the region. In particular, adherence to Sanitary and Phytosanitary permit standards and Good Agricultural Practice.

“Government intervention in promoting mango exports is clearly urgent and necessary. In particular, there is a need to expand planting, provide shared facilities… and cooperate with our partners in enhancing the competitiveness of the Philippine Mango,” she said.