A tourist is enthused as she checks Guimaras-grown mangoes at the agricultural trade fair, 2010 Manggahan Festival, in Jordan, Guimaras. (Photo by TARA YAP)

JORDAN, Guimaras (PNA) — The provincial government of Guimaras is embarking on initiatives to protect its fast-growing mango industry.

Guimaras Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava said after the May elections, the province will push for an ordinance that will require all local mango growers to register with their barangays once they start spraying their mangoes and likewise during the harvest period.

Nava said the move is one way to document the volume of mangoes being produced in the province and prevent “unscrupulous people from destroying the industry.”

“All it takes is one bad egg to destroy the industry,” he said.

Likewise, the province has already purchased equipment that will monitor and test the quality of its mango products.

Nava added that starting this year, it will be establishing a certain standard for Guimaras-grown mangoes which he hoped will be sustained.

Guimaras province is well-known for its sweet tasting mangoes. In Thailand, mangoes coming from this island province are called “Golden Pillows.” Also, Guimaras-grown mangoes are the only variety of this kind of fruit that have successfully penetrated the Australian and North American markets.

Currently some 200,000 to 300,000 fruit-bearing mango trees are planted in various plantations across Guimaras.