April 26
SEINTALONE mango varieties fetched a high price in the domestic market during the early season as border trade to China is still suspended, U Kyaw Soe Naing, secretary of the Myanmar Mango Market and Technology Development Association (Mandalay).
Prevailing prices of Seintalone mangoes are K33,000-K35,000 per 16-kilogramme basket, which contains 50-60 packed mangoes in protection bags. If mango quality is poor due to dropping and the absence of protective bags, it fetches only K300,000-K500,000 per tonne.
“On 18 April, a strong wind (25-30 miles per hour) affected the surrounding areas near Mandalay city, resulting in dropping in mango farms. This year, the yield is likely to drop by 30 per cent compared to last year due to strong wind and pest impact. China’s border remains shut down, so we must rely on the domestic market only according to the current market condition,” he elaborated.
Ko Than from Madaya Township, a mango farm owner, stressed that a strong wind dealt a massive blow to my farms, damaging about a half of the yield on two farms out of three farms. We started to send Seintalone to the Yangon market. The mangoes in protection bags are offered at a minimum of K30,000 and a maximum of K35,000 per basket.
The prices of protection bags increased from K27 to K47 per bag this year. Some farm owners cannot bear the cost burden and make outright mango purchases. — Min Htet Aung (Mandalay Sub-Printing House)/GNLM
