Agriculture.ph Blog

Japanese with an imported Golden Mango from Taiwan

Time to consider the exotic mangoes

IF YOU think you can’t compete in producing the carabao mango because there are so many growers and prices get extremely low during peak harvest season, consider planting the exotic varieties. They have their own merits and can become money makers for you.

Take, for instance, the Golden Queen from Taiwan which we brought into the country in 1998. This is considered the No. 1 variety in Taiwan. It produces big fruits that are very nice to eat both as green mango and as ripe fruit. In fact, our friend Eulogio Mallari of Bataan, who was one of the first local planters to produce fruits, conducted a taste test the other year. He asked a group to taste several varieties of imported mango varieties (he has more than 80 varieties). He said that the tasters voted Golden Queen as No. 1.

Mr. Eulogio Mallari with his fruiting 2 year old Golden Queen Mango Tree in Bataan

During the recent mango festival at the AANI special events center at the FTI Complex, several visitors were able to taste Golden Queen. One of them was Mrs. Elizabeth Wu who has a farm in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Upon tasting Golden Queen, she immediately ordered several grafted planting materials from Ramil Rubia. Later, she even had a better idea. Could she order three-year-old mango trees in container topworked with Golden Queen, Of course that could be done.

The Golden Queen is a big-fruited variety. Most of the fruits produced at the Teresa Orchard this season exceeded one kilo. The fruit has very scant fiber and has a fine texture. It also has a very small seed.

OTHER EXOTIC MANGOES. There are many other exotic mangoes, most of them introduced into the country by Eulogio Mallari. One of them is Leonida, named after Mallaris own wife. This is a cross between Kent and carabao mango. As mature green mango, it is excellent to eat. We have personally served them to friends during a party and they were unanimous Leonida tastes great as green mango. It is crisp and juicy.

R2E2 Mango from ECJ Farms

One imported mango that is being grown commercially by ECJ Farms in Negros is R2E2, a hybrid from Australia. This already has an established market abroad and local customers also like it. It is big and attractive because it has pinkish skin. ECJ Farms has been selling the fruit as a gift item. We have seen some being packed individually in a special carton and marketed for gift-giving.

Another possible winner is the Kensington Pride, considered as one of the best in Australia. Planting materials have been obtained by Teresa Orchard and is being multiplied through grafting and topworking. The topworked tree will be the source of more scions for grafting.

Then there is the Valencia Pride with elongated fruits that are colored. Another is Southern Blush, another colorful variety with good eating quality.

There are also imported varieties that are not only nice to eat. They are also ever bearing. Just like Chokanan from Thailand. At the Teresa Orchard, the trees are bearing fruit profusely even during the rainy season. At present, some small trees are fully laden with flowers and fruits of different ages. Two-year-old Chokanan in rubberized containers are also in fruit.

Local markets for these imported mango varieties can be developed. Mango festivals, free-tasting and other means of popularizing them can hasten the development of such a market. Most of these exotic varieties are already accepted in the export market, so it would not be difficult to export them as soon as enough volume is produced locally.

Written by: Mr. Zac Sarian of Manila Bulletin

Photos Courtesy of Rare Fruit Society of the Philippines

You can buy grafted Golden Queen Mango, R2E2, Leonida, Chokanan mangoes from Mr. Eulogio Mallari of Dinalupihan, Bataan (His fruit nursery is beside the municipal hall of Dinalupihan) Contact no: 0918-9344789