The provincial government of Ilocos Norte [PGIN] has adopted the BPRE [Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension] multi-commodity solar tunnel dryer to demonstrate the processing of dried mango and other fruits at a commercial level.


Large scale processing of dried mango started in March 31 this year, according to Mrs. Norma Lagmay, Ilocos Norte provincial agriculturist. Camias prunes, dried langka, dried tomato, and dried tamarind are also being processed on a limited scale.


Lagmay narrated that the project was triggered by her attendance at the national mango congress in Cebu in 2003 where she saw dried mango being sold in stores around the Cebu Midtown Hotel where she stayed.


At the same time, she learned that the Ilocos Region [Region 1] supplies considerable amount of fresh mangoes to Cebu every year. Ironically, some of the processed products are brought back to the region for sale. A big bulk of the processed mango [dried mango and puree] goes to the export market.


Challenged by what she saw and learned, she told herself that if Cebu can process mangoes, Ilocos Norte can also do it. At the back of her mind, she was thinking that instead of 'exporting' mango to Cebu, Ilocos Norte may as well process it just like Cebu.


For one thing, Ilocos Norte is the fourth highest producer of mango in the Philippines, posting an average yield of 14.14 metric tons a hectare [mt/ha], according to Lagmay. This yield level is more than twice the national average of 6.47 mt/ha. In 2003 alone, the province produced a total 37,533 mt, which is 3.74 percent of the total 1,004,280 mt produced in the whole country that year.


Likewise, Ilocos Norte is the second largest producer of mango in the Ilocos Region, second to Pangasinan. In the Northern-Central Luzon cluster [NCL], Ilocos Norte is relatively advantageous in mango production and marketing, according to Lagmay.


Unfortunately, however, there has been no existing mango processing facility in the province.


Lagmay also learned that a dryer is needed for the processing of dried mango. Thus, upon her return to Ilocos Norte she started asking people where a mango dryer can be obtained.


In the process, she learned that the regional office of the Department of Agriculture in San Fernando City, La Union has a prototype of a fruit dryer, which is actually the MCSTD. People in the DA regional office told her she can obtain a unit from Kato International in Manila, a manufacturer accredited by BPRE.


In her eagerness to obtain a unit of the MCSTD, Lagmay immediately proposed a mango processing project to Gov. Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. who, without thinking twice, approved the allocation of 250,000 - 150,000 for the purchase of the unit and 100,000 for operational expenses.


Immediately after acquisition of the unit, Lagmay assigned Ms. Christina M. Caroy and Mrs. Melba Quepo to lead in the processing project.


Data provided by the Ilocos Norte PAO show that they have been processing dried mango, camias prunes and dried langka for a total 23 days this year. All in all, they have processed 81.75 kg of dried mango, 8 kg of camias prunes, and 2 kg of dried langka. Data on dried tomato and dried tamarind were not provided.


Gov. Marcos was reportedly very happy about the results of the processing project, such that he gave away some of the processed products to his visitors when it was launched at the provincial capitol. A pack of dried mango contains 100 grams and is sold at 35 to 40 each.