Save the bees, save Samal mangoes, growers told

DAVAO CITY  (May 20) — Farmers in Island Garden City of Samal are being urged to protect native bees as agriculture officials push for more sustainable mango production and stronger access to export markets.

Officials said the island’s prized mangoes owe much of their sweetness and quality to tiny pollinators now threatened by excessive pesticide use and habitat loss.

“IGACOS mango is delicious because the small bees helped in pollination,” said Epifanio Loyola Jr., chairperson of the Regional Agri-Fishery Council of the Department of Agriculture Region 11 and president of the Beekeepers Network Philippines Foundation Inc..

Loyola said protecting pollinators is no longer just an environmental issue but also an economic concern for farming communities dependent on mango production.

He pointed to the native Apis cerana as a key pollinator that helps increase fruit set, improve mango size and enhance overall harvest quality.

During peak flowering season, managed pollination can significantly raise yields compared to relying on natural pollination alone, he said.

Loyola also warned farmers against spraying pesticides during flowering periods, saying the practice can kill bees and weaken long-term farm productivity.

“We promote taking care of them. Other countries even rent bees for pollination,” he added.

The sustainability push comes as Samal mangoes draw interest from foreign buyers.

Recently, South Korean company Sae Kyoung Co. visited a Samal mango farm and praised the fruit’s taste and quality, calling it “a really good mango.”

The DA regional office is now working to link local growers with overseas markets, particularly in South Korea.

But officials said export growth will depend on cleaner and more sustainable farming practices, especially compliance with maximum residue limits (MRLs), which regulate pesticide residues on fruits.

Researchers from the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research and University of the Philippines Los Baños are set to begin a study in Samal on June 16 examining how pollination affects mango flavor and how bee populations can be protected.

For growers and farming communities, officials said the message is simple: healthier bee populations could mean stronger harvests, better incomes and a more sustainable future for Samal’s mango industry.