Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
The Philippines may not be one of the top ten mango producers in the world, but the fruit is now being sold in the international market. Like banana and pineapple, Philippine mangoes are now exported.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the Philippines earned US$20.38 million for its mango exports for the January-to-September period in 2014. Unfortunately, it dropped by 37.6% to US$12.71 million for the same period in 2015.
But the good news is: mango producers from South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos (more popularly known as Soccsksargen) have been reported to ship out 1 metric ton (MT) of carabao mangoes to Dubai, United Arab Emirates recently.
This was reported by Business Mirror based on the data released by the Department of Agriculture.
Mary Grace Padin, author of the news report, quoted Amalia Jayag-Datukan, the department’s regional executive director, who said “the trial shipment was made after producers participated in the Middle East Natural and Organic Products Expo in Dubai in the first week of November.”
Emerson U. Palad, the department’s agriculture undersecretary, said that more than 30 countries buy fresh mangoes from the Philippines. Among the countries cited were Australia, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and South Korea.
Local dried mangoes, on the other hand, are being exported to 21 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.
Although mangoes can be grown anywhere in the country, supply for export still fell short of demand. “The shortage of supply in the country is brought about by factors such as climate change, pests and diseases, and postharvest losses,” said Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, executive director of Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), adding that the poor harvest practices and lack of appropriate facilities alone contribute to about 15% to 35% loss in the total produce.
“With the world market demand for mango rapidly growing, several measures must be done to improve harvesting and postharvest handling to prime up the Philippine mango industry,” Dr. Faylon suggested. “Because mango is highly perishable, prone to mechanical damage, and susceptible to postharvest diseases, its quality must be ensured right along the supply chain.”
The PCAARRD, a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), has come up with “Mango Harvesting and Postharvest Handling,” a booklet that provides information in proper harvesting, post-harvesting handling and disease control, and packaging of mango.
Proper harvesting
Among the materials needed for harvesting are bamboo ladder, picking pole, rope, newsprint and “kaing.” “Harvesting should be done at the proper stage of maturity,” the 12-page booklet states. “This determines the keeping and eating quality of the fruits.”
Factors affecting the rate of fruit maturity include climate, elevation of the area, and physiological status of the three at the time of flower induction. “The number of days from potassium nitrate spraying is commonly used to determine fruit maturity for harvesting,” said another PCAARRD publication, “Mango Production Manual.”
Generally, fruits can be harvested 105-130 days after flower induction. The fruit matures faster during the hot dry months. However, maturity takes more than 115 days during colder months.
The following are the maturity indices used as guide in harvesting: flat shoulder at the stem end (pedicel), full cheeks, presence of white powdery deposits on the peel (called “bloom”), creamy yellow pulp, and higher density as evidenced by sinking of 80% (12 of 15 fruits) or more in a 1% salt solution (10 grams of salt dissolved in one liter of water).
Harvesting must not be done too early in the morning. “(Doing so) cause rapid flow of latex from the pedicel-end,” the manual informs. “Harvest the fruit when the leaves are dry from 9 am to 3 pm.”
For small trees, handpicking is done. For large and tall trees, the mango manual suggests this: “Tie one end of the rope to your body and the other end to the collecting basket (lined with paper on side and bottom). Climb up the tree. Hang the basket freely on one big branch. Untie the end of the rope from your body and tie it on another big branch nearby. Now you can start picking the fruits using a picking pole. Once full, transfer the fruits from the poles to the collecting basket. When full, lower the basket slowly to the ground for unloading by another person.”
When the fruits are already on the ground, they “are sorted according to their market quality and size,” the booklet says. “Sorted fruits are packed in plastic crates with newspaper lined in-between layers of fruits. Importing countries have different set of requirements and standards on exportable grade mangoes.”
Hot water treatment
The hot and humid conditions of the Philippines favor the development of mango diseases such as anthracnose and stem end rot. To reduce the incidence or severity of these diseases, especially for mangoes harvested during the rainy season, the booklet recommends the harvested mango fruits to undergo hot water treatment (HWT).
“In HWT, the fruits are dipped in hot water (52º to 55ºC) for 10 minutes followed by hydrocooling in tap water for another 10 minutes,” the booklet instructs. “After hydrocooling, the fruits are air-dried (either inside or outside the crates) for about 30 minutes before packing.”
Here’s how HWT is done. First, fill the tank with clean water (about three-fourths of the total depth of the tank). Then, heat the water to 55ºC. Check water temperature at different points of the tank using a thermometer. When the water is already hot, put the mangoes to be treated in plastic crates without overfilling. Dip the crates in hot water for 10 minutes. Stir water occasionally (if no pump is available). After 10 minutes, remove crates from the tank. Cool treated mangoes in tap water for 10 minutes. Finally, air-dry the fruit for 30 minutes before packing. Electric fans or industrial fans can be used to hasten the drying of fruits.
According to the mango manual, the benefits derived from HWT are the following: (1) when performed not later than two days after harvest, HWT reduces disease incidence and severity or at least delay the onset of the disease so that the fruits may have ripened and consumed long before the disease symptoms would have appeared; (2) HWT removes dirt, dust, latex stain, and chemical residues; and (3) the treatment directly benefits the retailers, consumers, and processors by reduction of losses and increase in quality.
Packing and storage
The type of container to use depends on the intended market. “The best container for mangoes is the plastic crate,” the booklet says. “The plastic crates are durable, easy to handle and clean, and prevent injury during transport.”
Fruits intended for export to Japan and South Korea are packed in a different manner. The fruits, wrapped in thin paper, are packed pedicel-down in a cell type fiberboard carton in a single layer with a net capacity of 5 kilograms.
For Hong Kong and China markets, cartons with a capacity of 12 kilograms are used. The box is divided down the middle with a vertical driver and clean papers are used as liners in-between layers of fruits.
Mango fruits should be exposed to low temperature to extend the marketable life. “At the recommended storage temperature of 12.5ºC, mangoes can be stored for two weeks, although ripening will set in towards the end of the second week,” the booklet says.
Storage life of Philippine mango fruits – also called “Carabao” mangoes – can be extended for 29 days when kept under controlled atmosphere (CA) condition at 12.5ºC to 13ºC. “In this technique, the level of oxygen in the storage room is maintained at 5-6% while the carbon dioxide concentration is 4-5%. Mangoes are almost 50-70% yellow when taken out of CA storage and completion of ripening occurs when fruits are transferred at a temperature of 20ºC to 23ºC.”
