Nine mango varieties and selections were unveiled at a press conference of the Department of Science and Technology from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development. The mangoes were identified by the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) in the University of Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) through a program funded by PCAARRD and led by plant breeding scientist Carolyn Alcasid.
The mango is the third most-produced fruit crop in the Philippines, with a production of 739,250 tons in 2020. The Philippines exports fresh mango fruits to China, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea while processed mango products are exported to Canada, France, and Germany. Despite being one of the backbone industries of the country’s agriculture sector, the local mango industry is hampered by the fact that only the Carabao mango variety is exported.
IPB-UPLB has been looking for new varieties and selections that could help make the mango industry more competitive.
Source: mb.com.ph