A lawmaker has filed a bill establishing the Philippine Mango Industry Development Authority (PMIDA) to adopt a comprehensive program to revitalize mango production, processing and marketing in the country.
Rep. Jun Omar Ebdane (2nd District, Zambales), author of House Bill 6393, said the mango is a high value and a big earner crop and ranks third as the most important fruit compared to the banana and pineapple.
“The country has found its way in the Guinness Book of World Record as the sweetest mango in the world,” Ebdane said.
However, Ebdane said, the Philippines cannot meet the demand of other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, lagging behind India with 10.8 million metric tons annual harvest; China with 3.6 million metric tons; Thailand with 1.72 million metric tons and Pakistan with 1.7 metric tons.
“Although the country is a major mango exporting country, its average annual production is only 1.4 million metric tons. Being a typhoon-prone country, food processors and exporters often expect a decline in domestic mango production,” Ebdane said.
The other major markets of fresh mangoes are Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia.
Under the bill, the PMIDA, which will be an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, shall provide support and assistance to big and small mango farmers and processor in marketing their produce.
It will assist mango farmers and processors to organize themselves into associations and cooperatives for the development of the mango industry.
The agency shall be governed by the Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Trade and Industry, Administrator of the PMIDA, Director of Bureau of Agriculture Research, Director of the Bureau of Plant and Industry and three representatives from the mango farmers.
The bill imposes a fine of not more than P200,000 and imprisonment of not more than 2 years to violators.