Why Thai Mangoes Are Catching Up To Our Golden Carabao

Our best agriculture journalists couldn't have been sent to a more propitious bonus-prize destination than Bangkok, where evidence of continuing science-based governance remains commendable.

- Alfred A. Yuson

This ranges from airport and transport handling to quality of accommodations, recreational facilities, food availability and presentation, and not least of all, the city-wide presence of outstanding agricultural products.

Over the past decade or so, previous trips to Bangkok had me remarking positively on the varied fruits on display on sidewalks and in night markets. It seemed Thailand was in a race with Taiwan for the production of larger and sweeter fruits such as we now call giant atis — which we now wait for at Farmers' Market in Cubao for seasonal importation, at high prizes. The same is true of their sweeter lanzones or longkong, guavas, mangosteen, et al.

Sadly, we recall the days when earlier generations of foreign agriculture students spent years at IRRI and UP Los Baños, which led to the popularity of Thai Jasmine rice and rice production that involved exportation. This could only mean no-nonsense application of scientific methods — in stark contrast to our woefully embarrassing reputation as the highest rice-importing country in the world, thanks to our own generations of decrepit government officials.

What we've had are rice distribution cartels, onion and garlic smuggling, seasonal oversupply of tomatoes, cabbage and cauliflowers in the north. Till now, provincial leaders and national officials haven't come up with a program for canning tomato juice or puree, or cabbage into kimchi.

In past visits, I had noted how Thai fruit products and other edibles like sweetened tamarind were packaged so neatly, even elegantly. The sense of design also showed no negligence on the part of government's trade and merch bosses. Here it has to take inspired efforts by some of our manufacturers to come up with admirable design presentations, as has recently happened with our cacao, coffee and chocolate products, especially those from the south.