China approves mango shipments from eight RP companies

MANILA, Philippines - Bejing has given the go signal for eight Philippine companies to export mangoes to China starting in May, a move that is expected to benefit the country’s 2.5 million mango growers, the Department of Agriculture said in a press release Wednesday. The statement quoted Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap as identifying the eight exporters as Fruitful Harvest Corporation, Mabuhay 2000 Inc., Phil-Harvest Agro Marketing Corp., Diamond Star Agro Products Inc., DHM Philippine Produce Inc., Wenatchee Marketing Corp., HiLas Marketing Corp. and Marsman Drysdale Food Corp. Beijing’s approval was relayed in a letter sent last April 18 by Liang Wen Tao, the Chinese Embassy’s economic and commercial counselor, to Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns Berna Romulo Puyat. Leaders of the benefitting companies, including Jean Lui of Fruitful Harvest, Estrella Gonzales of Phil-Harvest, Tony Tiu of Mabuhay 2000 and Reynaldo Mangilit of Diamond Star, subsequently met last Monday with Mr. Yap, as well as William Co, former agricultural attaché to China; Qiu Zhijun, first secretary, Office of Commercial and Economic Affairs of the Chinese Embassy; and Mr. Liang. "Our exporters have fully complied with the requirements for extended hot water treatment, as specified last year by inspectors and technical staff from AQSIQ [China’s General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine]," the statement quoted Mr. Yap as saying. "Beijing’s nod to the treatment facilities set up by our mango exporters is very timely because this is now the peak of the mango harvest season," he explained. Mr. Puyat said Beijing gave the go-ahead after AQSIQ officials visited Manila last month to check on food safety and treatment facilities for Philippine mango exports. China earlier accepted the cheaper Extended Hot Water Treatment (EHWT), which the Agriculture department had developed in tandem with a premier research institution, as a qualified technology to ensure that Philippine mango exports meet global food-safety standards. The EHWT, which was developed by the Bureau of Plant Industry and the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, is designed to cut the cost of exporting mangoes to China by at least P20 a kilogram. Mango is among the Philippines’ top exports to China, which accounts for about 80% of total overseas sales of this tropical fruit. Data of the Agriculture department showed that Philippine mango exports to China last year reached 933.33 metric tons, which Mr. Yap expects to rise significantly starting this year as a result of Beijing’s approval of the EWHT technology. Data from the Agriculture department show that 500,000 MT of mangoes of the total 800,000 MT of annual production are harvested in these peak months of March and April. Mr. Puyat noted that "the viability of the fresh mango industry, and the millions of farmers and their families who rely on it for their livelihood, depends heavily on their ability to export their produce to China." "Similarly, the substantial investments in EHWT facilities that have been required by AQSIQ also lay idle and need to be productive so that our exporters can recover their expenses in setting up such facilities," he added. Mr. Puyat said the department expects China’s approval of Philippine mango exports would translate into higher incomes for some 2.5 million mango farmers in the country. - BusinessWorld