The Decline of the Philippine Mango Export Industry: A Three-Part Series

Introduction: What Happened to Our Beloved Carabao Mangoes?

If you grew up in the Philippines, chances are you have memories tied to mangoes—the golden, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth kind that feels like sunshine in every bite. Maybe it was a fresh, juicy slice at breakfast, a summer merienda of mango float, or a late-night craving satisfied by a simple bowl of diced fruit.

For years, our mangoes weren’t just a local favorite—they were a global sensation. Philippine Carabao mangoes were prized in Japan, loved in the U.S., and sought after in the Middle East. But something changed. Exports are shrinking, prices are rising, and fewer people are getting to enjoy the mangoes we once took pride in.

So, what’s going on?

In this three-part series, we’ll take a closer look at why our mango industry is struggling, from the decline in production to the overuse of chemicals and the deeper systemic issues keeping us from bouncing back. And more importantly, we’ll talk about what we can do before it’s too late.

Part 1: Why Are We Producing Fewer and More Expensive Mangoes?

Remember When Mangoes Were Everywhere?

There was a time when mango trees were so full of fruit that farmers would sell them by the bucket loads. Back in the ‘90s, a single mango tree could produce 10-12 metric tonnes per harvest. Today? Farmers are lucky to get even 3-5 metric tonnes (Department of Agriculture, 2024).

Ask any mango farmer today, and they’ll tell you the same thing:

• The trees don’t bear fruit like they used to.

• The cost of growing them keeps going up.

• Exporting them has become a nightmare.

Farming Is Getting More Expensive

Let’s say you’re a mango farmer. Every season, you have to buy fertilizers, pesticides, and pay for labor. But the price of everything keeps climbing. By the time you harvest, you find that the farmgate price—the price at which you sell your mangoes—is now at PHP 121.80 per kilogram (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2024). If you grow export-quality mangoes, you might get PHP 150 per kilogram, but that’s still barely enough to cover costs.

Meanwhile, your mangoes go through strict export requirements—hot water treatment, vapor heat treatment, fancy packaging. By the time they land in Australian supermarkets, they’re selling for AUD 25-30 per kilogram (PHP 1,000/kg) (Export Council of Australia, 2024). Who’s going to buy that when cheaper mangoes from Vietnam and Thailand are sitting right next to them?

And let’s not even talk about Philippine supermarkets. Have you seen mango prices lately? PHP 450 per kilogram. That’s insane. No wonder fewer Filipinos are buying them.

But why are mango yields dropping in the first place? That’s where things get messy.