Barriers to agricultural exports and the high-volume product: problems and opportunities for the Philippine mango industry.
Roman F. L. Jr.
Thesis, Harvard University, 1989, 774pp., available from University Microfilms, Inc.
Dissertation Abstracts International. A, Humanities and Social Sciences 50 : p.1717
Abstract : The role is explored of firms in the Philippine mango agribusiness system as coordinators in resolving three export barriers: regulatory impediments, market development problems, and production quality difficulties. The potential of the mango as a high-value product is also evaluated. Chapters deal with: the Japanese market and a government imposed ban on fresh mangoes; market development through field interviews with supermarket managers and distributors of fresh and processed mango products in the USA; a literature review on the applicability of 3 different modes of system coordination for the mango industry; data derived from an on-site farm survey to evaluate farm output and quality; and the high-value concept with aggregate, secondary data. The Philippine mango industry did not respond cohesively to the ban, and the mango industry in the USA may even lose its identity as its firms expand in the market, using different processed mango products. The supply of exports from farms may depend more on scarce management resources (e.g., trained supervisors and working capital) and less on correct farm practices. Finally, price behaviour is not sufficient to distinguish the high-value product, and its sustainability depends upon both product differentiation and market development.