Mango growers in Pangasinan report major damage to developing fruit after Super Typhoon Uwan (international name: Fung-wong) brought strong winds across northern production areas. Mike Garcia, president of the Calasiao Mango and High Value Crops Farmers Association, said early assessments indicate a loss of about 90 per cent of mangoes from fruiting to maturation stages, or 25 to 85 days old. Similar reports have been received from growers in the Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon regions. Calabarzon and Mimaropa recorded only heavy rainfall.
Pangasinan produced 102,823.30 metric tons of mangoes in 2023 and is the largest mango-producing province in the Ilocos region, which leads national production.
In Manaoag, grower Lito Arenas said many trees lost major branches or were uprooted. "Maybe 10 to 15 trees were toppled. We have to wait to find out if they can still survive," he said. Arenas reported that 97 per cent of fruit aged 90 to 94 days was on the ground. Fruits aged 38 to 40 days recorded about 70 per cent loss. Fully mature fruit is harvested at 100 to 105 days.
Arenas said his team attempted to pickle dropped fruit, but recovery volumes remain small. "We can only recover 20 kaing out of 2,000 kaing we usually harvest," he said. One kaing contains 18 kilograms. Before the typhoon, mature fruit sold for PHP90 to PHP100 per kilogram. The morning after Uwan, green carabao mangoes were being sold for PHP10 to PHP15 per kilogram. Garcia said the fruit was "too sour and not mature enough for sale."
Growers also reported heavy bruising on fallen fruit. Arenas said, "We're already giving them away, but still nobody wants them." Garcia said his association, with 60 members tending 5,000 trees across 100 hectares, plans to induce flowering again to target a harvest before Holy Week next year. "There's still time to recover," he said.
In Villasis, farm owner Rosendo So reported at least 15 toppled trees aged around 60 years. "All fruits are gone from 1,000 trees, and we have to wait for one and a half months before we can induce by spraying," he said. He added that older trees were more affected than younger 30- to 35-year-old trees. Arenas cautioned that many trees may be too stressed to bear fruit soon, which could delay operations for another year.
Garcia said growers face debt from inputs such as inducers and pesticides, which were mostly purchased on credit. The Pangasinan provincial board placed the province under a state of calamity. Gov. Ramon Guico III said assistance will be provided to affected farmers.
Source: Inquirer
