MMSU empowers Batac mango farmers through processing training

BATAC CITY, Ilocos Norte — A two-day mango processing training was conducted by the Mariano Marcos State University – College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (MMSU-CAFSD) from 24 to 25 April to support local mango growers in transforming their harvests into profitable ventures.

The event gathered members of the Mango Stakeholders’ Association Inc., where they engaged in lectures and hands-on demonstrations on mango processing technologies led by the Department of Food Science and Technology. The initiative is part of an extension project titled “Revitalizing Community Engagement to Institutionalize Partnerships for the Promotion, Extension and Deployment of the Mango Processing Technology.”

CAFSD OIC-Dean Charlie Batin emphasized the training’s goal of reducing post-harvest losses and boosting the mango industry in Ilocos Norte. “This training serves as the college’s response in helping mango growers not just preserve their produce, but also turn it into sustainable livelihood,” he said.

MMSU extension director Dr. Marilou Lucas added that the activity empowers farmers with skills in production, marketing, and sustainability.

MMSU president Dr. Virgilio Julius P. Manzano Jr. praised the initiative, stating, “Through our extension projects like this, we hope to establish MMSU as a techno-preneurial university — one that uplifts communities and contributes to local development.”

Ilocos Norte is the second-largest mango producer in Region I. To further strengthen this sector, MMSU continues to enhance its mango research and development through the Fruit Crop Nursery and Pomology unit, Lubbot Experimental Farm and Payao Area in Batac.

A memorandum of agreement signed in 2024 between MMSU and the city government seeks to elevate mango as one of Batac’s main economic products.