P30 million program to revive mango industry pushed

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Agriculture Department is proposing a P30-million, multi-year program to revive the city’s mango industry by helping farmers rehabilitate aging plantations, improve fruit production and quality, and establish direct links with buyers and processing enterprises.

Under the proposed Cebu City Mango Growers Development Program, the city aims to provide sustained support to one of Cebu’s most iconic agricultural products and the farmers who depend on it for their livelihood.

The program covers the entire mango value chain, from production and pest management to postharvest handling, marketing and agribusiness development.

Under the plan, the city will conduct its first comprehensive inventory of mango growers and plantations, establish a database of farmers, provide technical training, rehabilitate old and unproductive trees, strengthen pest and disease management, and improve farmers’ access to markets, financing and crop insurance.

The program will focus on 28 upland barangays with existing mango farms or areas considered suitable for mango production.

Priority beneficiaries include small-scale growers, organized farmer groups, women engaged in mango-related enterprises, and young people interested in agriculture and agribusiness.

City agriculture officials said the intervention is needed as mango growers continue to face challenges, including aging trees, rising production costs, pest infestations, weather-related risks, and limited access to technical services and reliable markets.

The program also seeks to reduce postharvest losses and address the weak bargaining power of individual farmers.

The initiative comes as Cebu remains closely associated with the country’s mango industry. Cebu mangoes have long been known for their sweetness and quality, helping establish the province as a major source of fresh and processed mango products.

The growth of the dried mango industry has also made the fruit one of Cebu’s most recognizable export products, supporting thousands of jobs in farming, manufacturing and trade.

However, the industry continues to face recurring challenges, including declining productivity in some areas, the effects of extreme weather conditions, disease outbreaks, rising farm input costs, and the need to encourage younger generations to pursue agriculture. These concerns were earlier raised by Councilor Jun Alcover, chairperson of the City Council’s committee on agriculture.

To address these issues, the city plans to establish demonstration farms and conduct regular training on orchard management, soil fertility, pruning, flower induction, harvesting techniques, climate-resilient farming practices and integrated pest management.

Farmers will also be linked with national government programs and technical partners to secure additional assistance.

The proposal also seeks to improve postharvest operations through better harvesting, sorting, grading, packaging and transport practices. Shared equipment for farmer organizations and market-matching activities with buyers and processors are also envisioned.

Beyond fresh fruit production, the program aims to create additional income opportunities through value-added products such as dried mangoes, purees, jams, preserves and mango-based beverages.

The city also plans to coordinate with the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry to develop processing enterprises and help farmer groups gain access to higher-value markets.

Among the program’s indicative targets are training at least 500 growers, rehabilitating at least 100 plantations, establishing or supporting demonstration farms, developing buyer linkages, and strengthening farmer organizations in mango-producing communities.

The city also aims to improve farm productivity and increase growers’ incomes during the implementation period.

If approved, the program will run through 2030, with the Cebu City Agriculture Department serving as the lead implementing agency in partnership with barangays, national government agencies, research institutions, cooperatives and private-sector stakeholders.- — /FPL (FREEMAN)