By Noel Punzalan | Philippine News Agency
ATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao — Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MAFAR-BARMM) on Sunday led a mango harvest festival here, showcasing the province’s potential of becoming a major player in the country’s mango industry.
The event was held in Sitio Kawa, Barangay Bugawas here, inside the five-hectare mango plantation owned by Nasrudin Salim.
“Salim’s plantation with 120 mango trees can produce at least 30 metric tons of mangoes ready for export,” Dr. Kadiguia Abdullah, head of Regional Agriculture and Fishery Information Division (Rafid) chief, told local reporters in an interview Monday.
Abdullah noted that the plantation was a recipient of intervention from the region’s agriculture office.
Spearheading the harvest festival were High Value Crop Development Program (HVCDP) regional coordinator Dr. Jalika Mangacop, “Gulayan sa Paaralan” regional coordinator Albaya Sagad, mango producers’ association president Yamashita Mangacop, Maguindanao HVCDP coordinator Dr. Baingan Iba, Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal agricultural officer Ahmad Lakim and Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council chair Alex Ibrahim.
“The town of DOS (Datu Odin Sinsuat) has 90 mango growers,” Mangacop said.
Mangacop added that he will work for the inclusion of DOS mango growers in the 2020 program that will provide them with a “hot water treatment facility”, which is necessary for coming up with quality mango products.
Abdullah said students of the “School-On-the-Air” program on Mango Flower Induction Technology, which is also a Processing and Marketing Scheme, were also present in the festival.
MAFAR-BARMM said that more mango harvest festivals are scheduled within the months of April and May across the province.
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