SAN MATEO—The Department of Agriculture (DA) has confirmed that there is no oversupply of mangoes in the country, despite recent concerns raised by a viral online video showing mangoes being disposed of in San Mateo, Isabela. The video depicted some fruits as spoiled, rotten, or undersized, which the DA attributed to the tail end of the peak harvest season.
According to Philippines News Agency, the situation shown in the video reflects typical conditions towards the end of a harvest. He noted that the affected mangoes were not indicative of a general oversupply but rather isolated instances of produce that could not be sold due to their condition. De Mesa expressed regret that local mango farmers had not taken advantage of prior assistance offered by the DA-Cagayan Valley region, which included deployment support to help distribute the mangoes more effectively.
He further urged mango farmers to coordinate with local DA field offices to arrange for the transportation of their produce and prevent similar wastage in the future. De Mesa emphasized the importance of working with local government units and regional agricultural offices to manage crop distribution during peak harvest times.
The farmgate price of mangoes has significantly decreased during this period, dropping from between PHP 30 and PHP 55 per kilo to now ranging from PHP 10 to PHP 15 per kilo, illustrating the market effects of peak harvest abundance.