50 women honed in mango processing

DINGRAS, Ilocos Norte, June 17 (PIA) – The mango processing technology was cited as having a high investment return in a recent forum organized by the researchers from the Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (MMSU) campus here.

Dr. Gliceria Pascua, consultant of MMSU’s mango processing project, said the products from the mango processing technology has a great demand in the local market due to its sweetness and crunchy structure.

Ripe mangoes are processed into puree, jam, candy, dried mango among others.

University researchers have shared the mango processing technology they discovered to the women’s groups in the province to bring them alternative livelihood.

The researchers had initially trained at least 50 women in mango processing technology at the MMSU Dingras campus.

The women were also exposed on simple bookkeeping to prepare them for their mango processing venture.

“Don’t just stop on having mango bearing-trees in the backyard and sell (the fruits) in the market with a little amount of profit. Everyone must start aiming to establish a name in the business world by having a world–class mango processed product,” Pascua said.

“The trainers of this mango processing project wanted to help other people to become self–reliant by maximizing the by-products of mango fruits that are abundant in our backyard,” she added. (Freddie G. Lazaro/PIA-1 Ilocos Norte with reports from Karlette Kae Undonero, intern MMSU DevCom)