DA-BPI, Mitsui partner on mango crop protection research
The Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) and Mitsui & Co. (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. Manila Branch signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 29, 2026, to launch a research collaboration on an innovative crop protection technology for the Philippine mango industry.
The signing was led by BPI Director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban, Ph.D., and Mitsui Manila General Manager Marilen R. Francisco, and witnessed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., Undersecretary-Designate for Identified High-Value Export Crops and Agri-Fishery Export Development and Promotion Philip C. Young, Mitsui & Co.'s Chief Strategy Officer of the Asia-Pacific Business Unit Takanubu Murayama and Deputy Branch General Manager Lysander Quinones.
Under the MOU, both parties will undertake pre-trial research on a controlled-release crop protection technology designed to improve the effectiveness of crop protection applications while reducing resistance development, runoff, and ultraviolet degradation. The collaboration will generate technical and regulatory data, including residue and dosage studies, to support the future evaluation and registration of the technology in the Philippines.
Through this partnership, DA-BPI will provide technical guidance, coordinate pre-trial activities, identify suitable mango trial sites, and work closely with mango growers and other stakeholders. The initiative supports the development of science-based solutions to address key production challenges, including cecid fly infestation, and reinforces DA-BPI's commitment to strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of the Philippine mango industry.