20 May 2004—With the arrival in Turkey this month of the first batch of mango imports from the Philippines, Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert delivered on her promise to bring the queen fruit of the orient to the said country.

“Philippine mangoes have come to be our country’s pride and signature export, and I am very pleased that the Turkish people have come to like this sweet and delicious fruit”, Secretary Albert said.   She made the statement after receiving a report from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara about the first-ever Mango Tasting Event in Turkey led by Philippine Ambassador Ofelia B. Castano and Carrefour General Manager Stephane Coum.  The event, held last 13 May 2004, was beamed to the whole country by at least three major local television stations.

Last March 2004, Secretary Albert, during a luncheon, promised Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdüllah Gül that she would bring the prized fruit to Turkey.
 
Carrefour is the largest supermarket chain in Europe and has several branches in Turkey.  The said supermarket was instrumental in introducing Philippine Super Mangoes (Carabao Variety) in the year 2000 to the highly selective, cosmopolitan market in Belgium.

A very attractive and colorful Philippine Super mango Booth was put up at the Fruit and Vegetable Section of Carrefour.  A large number of Turkish customers lined up to sample the mangoes.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had earlier secured the cooperation of Marsman Drysdale Foods Corporation to provide samples of fresh mangoes.  It was also necessary for the Philippine Embassy to produce information materials such as first class brochures and posters on Philippine Super mangoes in the Turkish language, considering that majority of Turkish consumers do not speak English.  The Embassy also established a professional partnership with Carrerfour Supermarket which expressed much interest in introducing Philippine mangoes to their Turkish customers.

Earlier in the day of the Mango Tasting Event, Minister and Consul General Macarthur F. Corsino and Trade and Economic Officer Ariel Rodelas Penaranda personally delivered baskets of mangoes to the Protocol Office of Foreign Minister Gül.  The Foreign Affairs Ministry was pleasantly delighted by the gift of fresh mangoes from Secretary Albert.

Local residents who were interviewed on Turkish TV commented that their newly discovered fruit was very delicious and could not find any other fruit similar to it.  Some customers tried to compare it with apricot, melon and orange but could not quite reconcile the similarities.  “Very unique and interesting”, they said, adding that the mango could be a combination of the said fruits.  Other adjectives used to describe the  mangoes were “fantastic, exotic, very nice taste and different”.

Most of the tasters were interested in the price and inquired on when it could be eventually sold in Carrerfour.  Presently, the limited volumes of red-colored mangoes imported from Peru and Mexico that are sold in Carrefour cost approximately TL 6 million apiece (P220.00).

With a maximum shelf life of only ten days, mangoes can only reach Turkey and still retain their good quality via airfreight.  This makes the importation costs more expensive and thus, a more expensive mango in the supermarket.
 
Nevertheless, Turkey remains a promising market for Philippine fresh mangoes, given its huge market of 70 million people.    Since the visit of Secretary Albert to Turkey, the Embassy has embarked on a very active information campaign for Philippine Super Mangoes, particularly among major fruit distributors and importers and large supermarkets.  END