Ilocos mango growers get gov’t aid

LAOAG CITY—Around 600 mango growers in the province received on Friday soil conditioners, organic fertilizers, fruit fly attractants and high-yielding varieties of grafted mangoes courtesy of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte.

Ricardo Tolentino, president of the Mango Growers Association in Ilocos Norte, said a lot of mango growers suffered losses during the last harvest due to the El Niño or the prolonged dry spell and with low prices due to oversupply from other mango-producing provinces.

To help farmers cope with unforeseen events, the provincial government through its share in tobacco excise tax continue to distribute additional farm inputs.

“We are thankful for the continuing support of the government. That is why we struggle to improve our harvest and inspire others to succeed,” Tolentino said.

Over the past seven years, the mango industry in the province has been suffering from low yield due to erratic weather patterns.

But as a high-value commercial crop in the province, Edwin Cariño, head of the Sustainable and Development Office, said they can not just allow the mango industry to "die" just like that.

As part of empowering farmers, government technicians have been teaching them how to rehabilitate their fruit-bearing trees and to apply organic conditioners to give time for the soil to "heal."

To date, the Ilocos region - which includes the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan - remains as one of the country’s major exporter of quality mangoes to Hongkong, Japan, and other neighboring Southeast Asian nations. (PNA)

 


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https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1078030
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