Process of Building up Mango Cluster Strategy

Abstract

Thailand can harvest over 1.7 million tons of mangoes yearly and becomes the world third largest mango producer. However, the export of both fresh and processed mango products in recent time was only 0.6 percent of the output and the remaining supply must be destined for domestic consumption at low price. Mango growers, thus, always have to encounter price risk. Growers able to export were those who accepted group working approach. Some advance groups even adopted “the group marketing” approach from abroad. Developing mango cluster strategies might, therefore, be a successful approach to expand the mango exporting industry of Thailand. This paper aimed to present the process of building up mango cluster strategy, for exporters in particular, as well as outcomes of the workshop process.

                The process of building up mango cluster strategy endeavored by the Multiple Cropping Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University involved: 1) Synthesis of the mango production systems, both from the secondary data and those derived from the ongoing research project, 2) Joining activities of the Chiang Mai mango growers group, 3) Visiting farmers’ orchard, 4) Field trip and 5) Facilitating workshop “Mango cluster strategies” on August 26, 2005.

                Joining activities of the farmer group was one of the key processes building up mango cluster strategy. It was found that knowledge needed to produce mango for export could be derived from 3 parts: 1) the researchers, 2) the knowledgeable farmers and 3) knowledge jointly developed by researchers and farmers. The last part was the most significant one. The other conditions which led to the successfull production and marketing were the cooperation between various stakeholders including that among members of farmers group, government officers and local government organization as well as exporters.

                The conclusions from the workshop consisted of 3 parts: 1) Variety selection: Nam Dok Mai (line Si Tong or number 4) is the most favorable cultivar for export, in order to fulfill the current requirement of the importing countries. 2) Problems and barriers to mango industry development were: unavailable or behind schedule services from government sector, market limitation and uncertainty, no group organizing among growers, no networking among grower groups, lack of precise technology for high quality production, different point of view about standard of exporting mango between growers and exporters and 3) Strategies for development of mango for export were: practicing group/networking/alliance approach, producing quality goods at competitive price and adopting the conservation practice for risk reduction from environmental vulnerability.