Guimaras mango processing gets boost from S&T support
The successful application of science and technology in providing technical assistance to selected Magsasakang Siyentista has indeed provided a positive shift in the role of the Filipino farmers – from being mere recipients of the technological information to enablers, facilitators and even initiators of technological change.
This was affirmed by Director Joseph Edward Idemne of the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium following the successful conduct of the Science and Technology-Based Farm Field Day on Village Processing on Mango in San Isidro, Buenavista, Guimaras, a report of the Philippine Information Agency said.
WESVARRDEC is a consortium under the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development with a mission to harness the individual talents, assets and resources of the member-agencies for a more significant contribution to agriculture and natural resources R and sectors towards advancing regional development.
The field day at Rebecca Tubongbanwa’s Mango Processing in San Isidro, aimed to showcase the successful application of Science and Technology-Based Farm interventions of improving productivity and increasing income of the Magsasakang Siyentista with her existing farm practices.
Tubongbanwa was selected farmer scientist or Magsasakang Siyentista and also a Western Visayas Gawad Saka Awardee. Likewise she was among the 200 Agri-Entrepreneurs in the country featured in the book of former Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
Tubongbanwa said she started her venture in 2003 with a capital of P7,000 and with continuous research and assistance from government institutions such as the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Plant Industry–National Mango Research and Development Center, and WESVARRDEC, was able to enhance and develop her agriculture-based endeavor into a million-peso business.
She focused on high value commercial crop processing technology and her dried mangos are known for low sugar content, pineapple and calamansi.
Her processed commodities include mango jam, mango-calamansi concentrate, dried mango, mango chutney, calamansi juice, mango calamansi juice, flavored polvoron, mango sauce, mango ketchup-regular, pineapple ketchup-hot and spicy, mango-squash spread; pineapple ketchup (regular hot and spicy); Indian mango pickles and pineapple marmalade.
Her product bearing the trademark name McNester speaks of Guimaras mangoes, and soon it would become a byword as a “pasalubong” to the rest of the world.
With this kind of experiences from a lady in Guimaras and other outstanding farmer-leaders across the country, this simply shows that the government is working and doing something for the upliftment of the life of the people, Idemne added.
