MikeLigalig.com

By RIC V. OBEDENCIO

As the demand for fresh mangoes abroad getS high, The Bohol Mango Growers Federation (BMGF), composed of municipal mango growers associations will provide its members access to market their produce.

This came after two foreign-businessmen expressed interest to buy fresh mangoes from Bohol to supply the increasing demand of the tropical fruit to Germany and elsewhere abroad, said BMGF president Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, who is a mango grower himself in Calape town.

Herrera was informed that a certain Jack King, a fruit buyer based in Manila is urgently looking for sufficient supply of fresh mangoes, considered as one of the high value cash crop.

Regional executive director Eduardo Lecciones Jr. of the Department of Agriculture region 7 wrote Gov. Erico Aumentado, through provincial agriculturist Liza M. Quirog, of this development and requested the governor for linkage to potential mango suppliers.

Lecciones said that King required suppliers to produce some 18 tons per day, each fruit weighing an average of 200 to 250 grams.

Herrera also bared that an Alburquerque-based trader, Rowena April Polinar is directly dealing with the federation to secure enough mango supply. In an interview, Polinar said that German national businessmen Peter Engel and Peter Schilling need fresh mangoes for supply to Germany. The Germans own the Vegie Vision Food Processing, she said. But there were no details as to the tonnage of the Germans demand.

As this developed, Herrera urged federation members during a meeting last week at the Agricultural Promotions Center this city to become active and impress a strong marketing personality.

The federation, he said, decided to convert itself into a cooperative now led by Atty. Martin Nuñez and register it with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) apparently to protect its members from unscrupulous traders out to take advantage of the situation.

During the said meeting, Engr. Vicente Loquellano, who is exporting fresh bananas to Japan, shared with the mango growers his knowledge and experience in dealing export of fresh tropical fruits.

But the vice-governor urged his members to do their homework and that is to provide the cooperative and the provincial agriculturist office (PAO) with data on mangoes.

PAO is providing technical know-how and market access for mango growers.

Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=1324.0