A Japanese firm has expressed interest in ramping up its purchases of mangoes from the Philippines, which has an excess supply of around 2 million kilograms, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said Diamond Star Agro Products Inc. (DSAPI) is keen on importing some 100 metric tons (MT) of mangoes from the Philippines this harvest season.
DSAPI is a Philippine-based Japanese firm that has been exporting locally roduced mango, papaya, saba, pineapple and durian to Japan since 1987. According to its web site, DSAPI is under Japanese firms Starlanes Corp. and Diamond Star Corp.
“The Japanese company, Diamond Star, which has been importing papayas, pineapple, mango, bananas and even turnips from the Philippines, signified the intent to buy a huge volume of mangoes through Philippine agriculture attaché to Japan, Dr. Samuel Animas, this week,” Piñol said in a Facebook post.
Piñol added that DSAPI is expected to join and participate in the launch of the DA’s Metro Mango Marketing Program on June 10, which seeks to attract buyers of mangoes produced in Luzon.
“The DA will arrange a meeting between the Japanese importers and the mango farmers of Luzon,” he said.
Luzon has an estimated surplus of at least 2 million kg of mango, or 2,000 MT, which is sufficient to feed 514,271 Filipinos at a per capita consumption of 3.889 kg, based on the latest government figures.
The oversupply caused by the prolonged El Niño phenomenon has prompted the DA to undertake a massive marketing campaign to help farmers who saw earnings decline due to falling farm-gate prices.
Piñol also said some local processes have agreed to ramp up their purchases of mango from Filipino farmers to cut the surplus in domestic supply.
The DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service is now encouraging interested businessmen and private entities to reach out to local mango planters. Amas had offered to link up interested parties with potential suppliers.
The government is offering to sell mangoes at P25 per kg if the buyer will purchase at least 4 MT. Export grade mangoes are also available at P50/kg for every 4-MT order.
Farmers are now producing 100 MT per week of mangoes for processing and for export, the DA-Amas said.
The average farm-gate price of mango in the first quarter dropped by 17.5 percent to P48.45/kg due to poor quality, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
A kilo of mango was priced P58.73/kg in the January-to-March period of 2018, the PSA added.
The country’s mango exports in the first quarter declined by 11.6 percent to $3.898 million, from $4.407 million recorded amount in the same period of 2018, PSA data showed.
Fresh mangoes from the Philippines are exported to 33 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.
The Philippines also ships dried mangoes to 21 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.