BY REINIR PADUA

The Philippines’ sales in mango exports could increase by at least 50 percent because of the recent agreement forged by the country with China and a new rule by the United States on phytosanitary measures.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, in a recent press conference, said Chinese Vice Minister Li Chuangquing of the China Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine recently signed a Protocol of phytosanitary requirements for the export of Philippine mangoes to China, which covers the use of hot water treatment.

The said form of treatment is said to be an economical but effective and widely accepted disinfestation treatment for Philippine mangoes to ensure the high quality of such fruit exports to China.

The US Federal Register, meanwhile, published on December 18 the Final Rule on the Importation of Philippines Mangoes to Hawaii and Guam, which allows the export of the fruit grown anywhere in the Philippines except Palawan, in addition to those already being imported from Guimaras, which were already allowed even in the US mainland.

"These twin positive developments would give a tremendous boost to the country’s mango industry and create more jobs in the countryside as the demand for this high-grade quality fruit in the foreign market increases," Yap said.

Under the new US rule, shipments coming from approved areas outside Guimaras should be labeled "For distribution in Guam and Hawaii only."

Mangoes coming from all approved areas in the Philippines should bear a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Department of Agriculture that shows declaration that the fruits have been treated for fruit flies.

According to Yap, the country’s mango exports totaled $46.17 million in 2005 - $26.6 million from fresh mangoes and $19.5 million from processed mangoes. Of this amount, exports to China reached $2.85 million.

Yap said the US currently imports only 18 metric tons of mangoes annually from the Philippines, noting that US mango production is less than one percent of the amount that America needs to satisfy its domestic consumption.