Yesterday I had a chance to meet up with my opposite number from the Mango Industry Cluster. Tony Teh is the private-sector chairman of the said cluster, which was put together by the National Economic Development Authority and the Department of Agriculture - Region XI. Yours truly is with the ICT Industry Cluster, which is being overseen by the Department of Trade & Industry - Region XI.
In my work, I am at the disposal of the DTI whenever investors in the I.T. industry come to Davao. In one of my encounters with such investors, the other party expressed interest in the mango export business. Hence my brief “crossover” to that agricultural industry. (Come to think of it, I.T. is actually a vertical sector that cuts across all others.)
So yesterday I got a taste of just how complicated the mango business really is. Especially when it comes to export. Apparently, mango is considered a luxury item in other countries; whereas banana is more of a necessity, it would seem. But different countries have different rules and requirements governing the importation of mango — that’s one of the things that makes this business a challenge to our growers.
Did you know that, in Japan, mangoes sell for about P500 each? A Japanese friend told me that they don’t simply eat mango — they celebrate it! Ok, he might’ve been exaggerating (or got lost in translation), but the fact remains that in his country, mangoes aren’t everday fare. We should be so lucky!
11:12 pm on 8 May 2007
I had an interesting conversation with somebody (a Davaoeno no less!) who once worked at the Palace of the Sultan of Brunei. He said that he once tried to grow mangoes for the Sultan because it was one of his favorite fruits… when he harvested the fruit it didn’t taste quite as good as what we had here.. maybe that’s one thing we should be thankful for also? that our mangoes actually taste good when harvested here
12:31 am on 9 May 2007
I heard there’s something unique in Davao’s soil which makes the mangoes grown there special. That’s why them foreigners can’t have enough of our mangoes.
7:58 am on 9 May 2007
Wow.. one of the things I am grateful to be living in this city…