Eduardo Pontaoe
12 Dec 2007

 

 

Mr. John Bolinas:

Export of Pangasinan mangoes to the US of A? Easier said than done, Mr. Bolinas.

Your excitement of seeing dried vacuum-packed mangoes in store shelves in this part of the world in its commercial value is mighty deceiving.

I don’t know about you in Canada, but here down south, it hasn’t gained ground yet, the reason is the quality of the fruit in its state of aging. The texture of the flesh is rubbery and the flavor is not appetizing to the taste (anacseng).

Case in point: it was tried at Costco and it didn’t move at all. At $9.00 a bag, it could force you to call an ambulance. The approval of the USDA was granted when the government agreed to irradiation technology, a phytosanitary measure for treating flies and pests on mangoes and other tropical fruits coming to America’s ports.

The problem for Pangasinan mango exports is refrigeration and the distance to market, requiring n a specialized container capable of a controlled atmosphere. This is a must for low oxygen concentration and minimal ethylene concentration that can produce a fruit product whose pulp is riper while in transit.

And comes with it the profit margin. Once the mangoes are unloaded, there’s only a window of a week or two before it starts rotting. The ethylene gas process which naturally evolves among fruits, and with moisture, that will hasten decay. Remember that mango like banana is one of the fruits that cannot be frozen like any ordinary vegetable.

And the biggest challenge that an exporter from Pangasinan could face, is competition. Can this exporter butt head with the growers of Florida, Texas, Mexico, Latin America, Ecuador, Chile and the godzilla of them all Brazil? All these places started planting 20 years ago and these trees are now bearing fruits.

Have you ever seen mangoes coming from Thailand, Indonesia and India, the largest grower in Asia exports to America? With a minimal number of mango fruit-bearing trees in Pangasinan, it wouldn’t make a dent in this highly volatile market.

I am familiar with this business, what’s produced in Pangasinan is not enough for China and Japan.

This is how it works, Mr. Bolinas. Not all harvested fruit is for export. It’s sorted into three categories. The #1 size is for export, the remaining is for local consumption. Maybe, out of ten bushels, you’re lucky if you can get four.

Fruits for export must also be clean . . . untainted . . . no sap or any discoloration on its rind. And pretty damn fortunate, too, if the rampaging typhoons will not pay you a visit while the trees are in bloom or the young fruits are the size of a spoon.

However, there’s a fruit that resembles the Pangasinan mango called Manila mango grown in Mexico. It’s smaller in size, but less pulp and tastes like one.

 

Jeremias Andrade Carrera
12 Dec 2007

 

 

Mr. John Bolinas:

Your posting on the exportable products from Pangasinan aside from mangoes and bangus should have been a priority project to help the majority of our kabaleyans-home or cottage industries long time ago.

Since the Philippines has the highest power cost in Asia and about the same as Guam (18-22 cents per kilowatt-hour), the priority projects must be the development of inexpensive design and construction of solar devices such as solar food dryers, refrigeration, heaters, lights, etc. in order for the Philippines to be competitive.

Funding for the DOST, Dept of Agriculture (extension agents to train our farmers), and farmers cooperative should also be priority.

Unfortunately, the top priority is to export more people - the OFWs and no program to end it because of the false positive sense it causes about the economy.

It is very saddening to see our farmers not being helped by its government. Even the appropriation for fertilizers is squandered, so that means our farmers are considered not important to this administration. Yet they always ask the overseas kabaleyans to invest their money back home.

Government support is always necessary for any program to prosper, but most officials do not support programs that do not generate SOP for themselves.

So anyone going into the export of Pangasinan products will do it on their on which will not benefit a whole lot of our kabaleyans.

Isidro Ramos
12 Dec 2007

 

 

Whoa, slow down Mr. Ceralde… if you go back to the very first post in answer to Archbishop Cruz’s editorial column with regard to the paradox of peso it was an EXPLAINATION as plain as could be by Mr. Kobayshi but never a criticism of any kind in any shape or form. Are we clear now?

Moving on, you brought out the laundry list of Mr. Soros however, if you are a self respecting man, you should also inform SP readers about all the worldly undertakings that he is doing using all the money he made as an entrepreneur.

Anyone with guts, stamina, and can sleep at night not worrying about what tomorrow may bring could follow Mr. Soro’s footsteps. Great risks brings great rewards. Yes! He is the man.

To run a business, Mr. Ceralde, be shrewd to a point that if a man is down on his knees kick him some more. This is what most of our kabaleyans lack especially small businessmen. A Handshake is good but cash is king.

Observe the entrepreneurs around your NY/NJ neighborhood… they are not as educated as you are but they are shrewd and millionaires!

I applaud that you seem to know the world market why then is it that you are still in a rat race? NUTS!!

The OFW is another story if only they will impress their pocket first and impress the neighbors later, they would be in a better shape and I hope this last statement does not need much clarification because this is how much I could marshal with just a high school education.