This is in stark contrast to how fruit processors operate in the Philippines. Therefore, your transportation and operational costs are low,” he explained. If you were to look at how Thailand fruit processors positions themselves, all the dried fruit processing plants are situated in an export zone that is no more than 5 kilometers from the plantation. “Thailand has the edge over the Philippines in dried mango production not just in packaging, but in terms of price. Siao used Thailand as an example, saying that while Thailand’s dried mango products might be of lesser quality than those produced in the Philippines, the more attractive packaging and lower prices make Thai mangoes more attractive to the international market.
There is still much growth there but due to the number of competitors, not just locally but internationally, the price issue comes into play,” he said. “There is a big market that can be tapped as far as the international market is concerned. The growth of the local fruit processing industry, particularly mangoes is stymied by high production costs and short supply.Įrwin Siao of R&M preserves, the pioneers of dried mango processing, said the high acquisition cost of green mangos is forcing manufacturers to sell Philippine dried mangos as a high end product which makes it difficult to compete with similar products from other countries. The dried mango industry, however, is facing stiff competition from its ASEAN neighbors notably Thailand. The Philippine mango has been touted as the best mango in the world and its processed derivatives such as dried strips, juices and the like have been given a perennial welcome gift for Filipinos working in many parts of the world.