THE prices of the Seintalone mango variety shipped to China depend on quality, said U Kyaw Soe Naing, general secretary of the Myanmar Mango Market and Technology Development Association (Mandalay).
The prevailing prices of Seintalone are worth up to 140 Yuan per 16-kg basket. For low quality, it fetches only below 100 Yuan.
Nonetheless, mango growers slashed agricultural input costs and caused quality degradation during this mango season. Therefore, some mango had post-harvest diseases such as stem-end rot and black spot in the fruit, U Kyaw Soe Naing continued.
Consequently, Seintalone mango did not acquire market in China due to quality damage, said Sai Khin Maung from the Khwanyo Fruit Wholesale Centre.
“Quality plays a crucial role in exports. It is hard to deliver the mango amid the transportation difficulties. Price is evaluated on mango skin colour, taste, packaging and freshness. However, bagging materials should not be utilized more than two times for fruit wrapping. Quality depends on agricultural inputs like bagging material, treatment and pesticides. Nonetheless, exporters do not dare to take a risk due to uncertainty in cross-border transportation,” he continued.
Although the mango is placed in China’s market within five days, some traders cannot even cover the general cost owing to fruit loss, he added.
“There is no price manipulation. Mango is prioritized in the trade channel, yet quality damage made the exporters lose. Some even lost the capital,” Sai Khin Maung pointed out.
This is why the Khwanyo Fruit Centre notified growers and exporters of the quality control in the remaining season.
At present, about five truckloads of Seintalone mango are daily conveyed to China. Mango growers are required to maintain the fruit quality.
Of about 200 mango varieties that originated in Myanmar, Seintalone, Shwehintha, Padamyar Ngamauk, Yinkwe, and Machitsu varieties are primarily grown. The foreign market prefers Seintalone varieties.
Ayeyawady Region possesses the largest mango plantation acres, having about 46,000 acres. Bago Region is the second-largest producer with 43,000 acres and Mandalay has 29,000 acres of mango. There are over 24,000 acres in Kayin State, over 20,400 acres in Shan State and over 20,000 acres in Sagaing Region, according to the association.
NN
GNLM
#TheGlobalNewLightOfMyanmar