This Nation Has to Dump 2M Pounds of Mangoes by Month's End

Weather conditions prompted by El Niño have caused huge surplus in Philippines
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 17, 2019 8:25 AM CDT
Want Bulk Mangoes? Head Here Instead of Costco
Now you know where to go to get your bulk mangoes.   (Getty Images/Roxiller)

If you're looking for mangoes on the cheap, has the Philippine government got a deal for you. Not only are they being offered there for 18 to 43 cents per pound, but the country's Agriculture Department just threw a big two-day mango festival, complete with mango showcases and cooking demonstrations, to draw attention to the juicy fruit. That's because the Philippines is trying to get people to help reduce its mango surplus of 4 million pounds, with a goal to dump at least half that amount on the fruit-loving public by the end of the month, USA Today reports.

So why does the archipelago nation suddenly find itself mired in so much of the stone fruit? Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol points to El Niño, which every three or four years creates weather conditions that are conducive to growing mangoes. "It's a good phenomenon for us," he tells the Manila Times, noting that the only drawback this time around was the lack of coordination between farmers and his department in preparing for the excess. At least one farmer is even bucking market value, leaving bags of mangoes hanging from his fence that people can simply take. "Anyone is free to take a mango, whether they are neighbors or those who are just passing by," notes a Facebook post. (More Philippines stories.)

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