ILIGAN CITY — In an effort to meet the rigid quarantine requirements of target export markets, and with the expansion of mango production in Northern Mindanao, growers must now be equipped with modern and proper post-harvest technologies.

Just recently, the 40-member Mango Growers Association of Iligan City (MAGIC) and the 30-member Cagayan-Misamis Oriental-Bukidnon Mango Growers, each received hot water treatment (HWT) facilities from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

On the other hand, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID’s) Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program provided the initial design of the facilities and organized hands-on training for the association members.

It was learned that the HWT process, which entails immersing green mature mangoes in a water bath for ten minutes at a temperature range between 52°C to 55°C, arrests the development
of diseases in the fruit.

Countries like Japan, South Korea and the US require the more costly vapor heat treatment for mango imports, but other markets require HWT only.

“Growers in Iligan are working to make our fruits export-friendly. Once they’ve passed through the HWT facility, the mangoes can be shipped to Hong Kong and China,” said MAGIC president Linda Halibas, who said that non-association growers in the area could also avail of the facility.

Last year, Mindanao exported about 2,300 metric tons of fresh mango that is valued at more than $3.5 million, representing a volume increase of about 16 percent over the previous year.

There is also a demand for processed fruit – last year, Mindanao directly exported dried mangoes valued at approximately $1.4 million, and mango juices and purees with an estimated total value of $1.1 million.

The GEM program has worked in partnership with the Mindanao Fruit Industry Council and other industry proponents in developing off-season mango production and in strengthening the production supply chain by encouraging more private investments in quarantine treatment facilities like VHT and HWT.

Earlier, also in partnership with the DA and the local government, the GEM Program facilitated the design and training management of an HWT facility for the Moro United Multi-Purpose Cooperative, comprised of former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front and their families, in Carmen, North Cotabato.