The prospect of mangosteen

Editor: Zac B. Sarian

     Mangosteen is becoming increasingly attractive as a high-value crop that can be grown not only in Mindanao but also in the Visayas and Luzon.

     In Negros, the biggest mangosteen plantation in the country is being put up by businessman Eudardo Conjuangco Jr. who is also into durian, pili, mango and other friuts in a very big way.

     In Luzon, there are also successful plantings (although limited) in Alaminos and San Pablo City in Laguna. Marino Roxas has successfully fruited grafted as well as seedling tree in his farm in Alaminos. In Lucban, Quezon, there are also backyard plantings which are producing excellent quality fruits.

     At the Sunday Market at Sidcor Resord in Quezon City, a lot of fruit fanciers are buying planting materials for their own farms and gardens. Bernie Dizon, who has a demo nursery-farm at the Central Luzon State University in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, has been producing a lot of grafted mangosteen.

     Compared to other fruit trees, mangosteen is much simpler to raise, according to him. It is one fruit crop that does not require spraying against pests and diseases. No serious pests and diseases have been observed to attack this fruit tree. Sometimes borers would attack the fruits but they don't actually reach the edible portion because the rind is thick.

     Another good thing he likes about mangosteen is that its price is high compared to other fruits. He sells his harvest at P30 to P45 a kilo ex-farm. And he does not have any problem selling his harvest because there is not much competition. The fruit has also a longer shelf life than most fruits and can be transported to distant markets without much problem.

     Mangosteen also does not have a long gestation period as long as the trees are properly cared for. In one of Dr. Villarico's plantations, 17 of his trees bore fruit in four and a half year of fruiting from planting. During the first year of fruiting, one tree could yield five to six kilos. In 1996, he said, 900 of his 16-year-old trees gave him 16 tons of fruit.

     According to Dr. Pablito Pamplona of the University of Southern Mindanao, there have been trees in the Philippines recorded to yield 200 to 300 kilos per tree.

     Mangosteen has two fruiting seasons a year. In Cotabato, Dr. Villarico said, the heavy crop comes from September to November. A smaller crop followers some months later.

     One does not only make money from the fruits. You can also propagate seedlings for sale. Dr. Villarico himself makes a lot of money from mangosteen seedlings. At one time he produced 50,000 to 60,000 seedlings which he sold from P25 to P150.