By HENRY EMPEÑO

MASINLOC, Zambales — Agriculture personnel and farm experts visited selected mango orchards in this town on October 8 to assess their possible inclusion in the provincial government’s revitalized mango production program.

Mayor Hazel Lim and some local mango producers toured the visiting experts led by Samahan ng Magmamangga ng Zambales (SMZ) president Enrico Batungbacal to suggested pilot mango farms in Barangay Taltal and in Barangay San Salvador, which produces some of the best-tasting mangoes in Zambales.

Lim said the visit seeks to encourage local producers under the provincial mango program to establish pilot farms that could be integrated under a sustainable farm management system; boost the quality and quantity of harvest through quality control systems; expand existing mango farms and initiate mango seedling propagation; and open market access to local producers through branding and packaging.

With these initiatives, Masinloc will ultimately be poised to be known as home to the sweetest mango in the world, Lim added.

The Zambales Mango Green Valley Project is a P50-million project launched by the provincial government in late 2024 to revitalize and modernize the local mango industry, with focus on the world-famous Dinamulag (carabao) mango.

The project has three phases: creation of demo farms under Phase 1; tree rejuvenation under Phase 2, which started this year; and establishment of nurseries and post-harvest facilities, and training on farm management under Phase 3.

The project aims to boost local production, with a goal to surpass national average yields. 

Lim pointed out to local growers that the Zambales mango program also provides no-interest loans payable up to five years to capacitate local growers and enable them to integrate pilot farms under modern farming techniques and current management methods.

Following the initial visit, Lim also brought members of the Masinloc Mango Producers Association and personnel of the Municipal Agriculture Office to the Batungbacal mango farms in Palauig town on October 24 to benchmark best practices in mango farming and learn about the production of high value crops like papaya and honeydew melon. 

COVER PHOTO: Mayor Hazel Lim discuss mango farm integration with farm experts under a century-old mango tree in San Salvador Island (Mayor Hazel Lim fb)