See

discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305851977

Situation of Postharvest Technology for Fresh

Produce in the Philippines

Conference Paper · October 2013

CITATIONS READS

0 886

2 authors:

Ryan Anthony Ortencio Lualhati Arlan James Rodeo

University of the Philippines Los Baños University of the Philippines Los Baños
2 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS 3 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

postharvest handling of organically grown veegetables View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Arlan James Rodeo on 05 August 2016.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

SITUATION OF POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGY FOR FRESH
PRODUCE IN THE PHILIPPINES1

RYAN ANTHONY O. LUALHATI AND ARLAN JAMES D. RODEO

Postharvest and Seed Sciences Division, Crop Science Cluster, College of Agriculture,
University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna, Philippines

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines is predominantly an agricultural country with 32% total land area devoted
to agriculture. In 2012, about 37% of the population is involved in agriculture-related activities
based on statistical data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) of the Department of
Agriculture. With an 11% share in the gross domestic product (GNP) of the country (BAS, 2012)
and gross earnings from agriculture valued at P697.2 billion for the first half of 2013, it cannot be
denied that agriculture has a significant share in the Philippine economy.
Major fruit crops grown in the country are banana, pineapple, mango, citrus, and papaya.
Most of these fruits are exported to Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China,
Middle East and the United States. In terms of volume of production, banana is the most produced
fruit in the country. Philippine banana production is third in the world, next to India and China in
2011. However, the country is the world’s number one exporter of bananas (by volume). Pineapple
is the second most produced fruit in the Philippines. The country is the second top exporter and
sixth most producer of pineapple. The third most produced fruit in the Philippines is mango. Export
of Philippine mango, the sweetest mango in the world by Guinness World Records, is only second
to Mexico. Citrus fruits are the next most fruit mostly produced in the Philippines since it is used
as a culinary ingredient. In spite of this, only juice extracts and processed citrus are exported. It is
just being introduced to potential countries for export. Papaya is the fifth most produced Philippine
fruit. Unripe papaya is harvested as ingredient Filipino dishes. The Philippines is the tenth exporter
of papaya in the world.

1
Country paper presented during the “2013 ASEAN-Korea Technology Cooperation on Improvement of Efficiency
in the Handling of Perishable Crops in ASEAN Countries (International Training Program)” organized by the Korea
Food Research Institute, October 6-25, 2013, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea.
Table 1. Volume of major fruits exported by the Philippines in 2011.
Volume produced in Volume of exported
Commodity
(metric tons) (metric tons)
Banana 9,165,043 2,046,743
Pineapple 2,246,806 263,019
Mango 788,073 21,080
Citrus 182,550 n/a
Papaya 157,907 2,945
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization and Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, 2011.

The two most produced fruits, banana and pineapple are being produced in big farms by
multinationals companies in southern Philippines. In contrary, mango is produced in small farms
or in backyards of households all over the country. There are two citrus varieties that are essential
to the country, pummelo and the indigenous calamansi (calamondin). Farms growing calamansi
are small and found across the country while pummelo is grown in neighboring large farms in the
southern region of the country. Due to existence of the destructive ring spot virus disease in the
northern island of Luzon, papaya production is limited to the areas of Visayas (central islands) and
Mindanao. Despite the limited area, papaya is an important export fruit.
Vegetable production is far behind fruit crop production in the Philippines. Land area used
for vegetable production is less than half on the area used for fruit crop production. The
mountainous areas of Mindanao and Benguet are the major sources of vegetable. Squash fruit,
eggplant, tomato, cabbage, and onion are the top five vegetables produced in the country, based
on volume (Table 2). However, exported vegetables are mainly minor produce such as asparagus,
shallots, and onions. Rapusas mentioned in his report that total Philippine vegetables exported was
36,562 metric tons in 2003.
Vegetables are grown in the country for three purposes: home consumption production,
secondary crop production, and specialized full-scale production. Production for household
consumption is the most common but has no contribution in market trade. Vegetables that are
secondary crops only are grown between the harvest and the next planting of the main crop (rice
and corn). Specialized full-scale vegetable production is usually the practice in the highland
regions of the country. Cabbage, carrots, lettuce, potato, broccoli, celery, and cauliflower are
grown in these regions favorable for semi-temperate vegetables.

Table 2. Volume of major vegetables produced in the Philippines in 2012.

Vegetable crop Volume produced (metric tons)
Squash fruit 222,584
Eggplant 211,853
Tomato 203,577
Cabbage 126,356
Onion 124,823

POSTHARVEST TECHNOLOGIES UNDER PHILIPPINE SETTING

Extension of Shelf-life of Fresh Produce

Use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is widely done in the country. This
technique is simple and cost effective. Fresh produce is sealed inside plastic bag or film results in
the modification of the levels carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) inside the plastic bag because
of respiration. The modified atmosphere reduces the rates of processes that bring about
deterioration, ripening and loss of moisture from the commodity. Pinholes or diffusion holes are
made to prevent anaerobic respiration and high CO2 level. The number and area of diffusion holes
is dependent to the volume, maturity, and type of commodity (Table 3). For example, four
diffusion holes are recommended to store a kilogram of tomato in MAP. Tomato, broccoli,
eggplant, bell pepper, carrot, and minimally processed vegetables have significant increase in shelf
life using MAP. For example, a study in using MAP on broccoli extended its storage life from 5-
7 days to 18-21 days at 5ºC.
In a study, the Philippine mangoes turn from green to half-ripe when stored for one month
in controlled atmosphere chamber. This allows the Philippine mangoes to be exported to far
countries using controlled atmosphere transport.
 Table 3. Recommended modified packaging for intact fresh produce.
Fresh produce Number of diffusion holes/kg
Calamondin 4
Banana 0
Papaya 2
Broccoli 1
Sweet Peas 1
Tomato 4
Rambutan 8
Lanzones 16
Eggplant 0

Evaporative cooling is one of the technologies done to address the concerns on organic and
safe fresh produce. Use of organic materials such as banana leaves and moist coconut coir dust
are used as evaporative media. Banana leaves and stalks are used to wrap organic fresh produce
specially lettuce for temporary storage. Tomatoes and eggplants placed in wet coconut coir dust
(chlorinated) stay fresh for a month or more. It is important to note that tomatoes should be in
mature green stage for coconut coir dust storage.
Chemical treatments and application are also used to prolong the storage life of fruits and
vegetables in the Philippines. The use of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) is also available in the
country for crops like papaya and cauliflower. Ethylene absorbents using indigenous materials as
carriers is being developed to extend shelf life of important fruits. Ethylene, on the other hand, can
be also used to extend shelf life of sprouting vegetables like onions (Soe, 2011). Waxing of
‘Satsuma’ mandarins and ‘Queen’ pineapples is done to reduce water loss and respiration rate,
thus, increasing storage time. Waxing is also done in some other fresh produce like papaya, mango,
durian, and others. Ongoing studies and researches are being conducted for most suitable edible
wax for specific produce.

Quality Enhancement of Fresh Produce

There are many different methods of maintaining and enhancing the quality of fresh
produce in the Philippines. One of the most important methods is the use of hot water treatment
(HWT) since it is also done in export fresh produce. Mangoes are subjected to HWT at 52-55°C
for 10-15 minutes to minimize the incidence of anthracnose disease. Similarly, papayas are also
hot water-treated to reduce anthracnose at 49-51°C for 20 minutes. Hot water treatment is also used
to minimize chilling injury (blackheart) in pineapples by dipping the fruit for 15 minutes in 45°C
water. Disease control of calamondin can be also done by hot water treatment for 5 minutes in
50°C water bath temperature.
Chemical treatment is also practiced in the country for disease control. Dipping cabbage
butt ends and other crucifers at 10% alum solution significantly reduces soft rot disease incidence.
Alum is also sometimes used as a delatexing agent in papayas, banana, and mangoes to prevent
latex burns. Anti-browning agents are used in some of the minimally processed produce. Young
jackfruit fresh cuts for cooking are treated with citric acid (0.1-0.3%), oxalic acid (0.1-0.3%),
sodium metabisulfite (0.1-0.3%), or pure bilimbi juice to prevent browning. Bilimbi juice has also
been proven to be effective in inhibiting browning in banana buds. Washing in chlorinated water
(50-200 ppm) is also done in some of the fruits and vegetables.

Postharvest Technologies Addressing Trade Requirements

Disinfestation protocols are done in Philippine export produce to satisfy the requirements
of importing countries. Some Philippine mangoes that are exported to United States are irradiated
at 150 Gy and 350 Gy for fruit flies and seed weevil quarantine control, respectively. There is only
one irradiation facility in the country, which is operated by the Philippine Nuclear Research
Institute uses cesium-137 for irradiation. However, the facility cannot operate on commercial
quantity. On the other hand, vapor heat treatment (VHT) is used in mangoes exported to Japan,
Australia, Korea, and also in United States. During VHT, mango pulp temperature should reach
46°C for 10 minutes and is done in the presence of inspectors from importing countries. Papayas
that are for export are also vapor heat treated to 46°C pulp temperature for 70 minutes. In the case
of mangoes exported to China, extended hot water treatment is being done. Mangoes are dipped
in 48°C water until the pulp reaches 46°C for 10 minutes.
Disinfection protocols are also established for fresh cuts sold in Philippine market. This is
to reduce the microbial load of minimally processed produce. Most common practice is the use of
chlorinated water (about 5 ppm).
Ripening Regulation
Traders sometimes promote ripening to take advantage of the high demand or price of fresh
fruits in the market. Chemical and biological ripening agents are based the ripening and senescence
hormone, ethylene. Green bananas that are shipped from the southern Philippines are often dipped
in ethephon solution to hasten ripening. Most often, traders apply ripening promoters at different
times on the same shipment of produce to “plan” ripening based on the projected daily sales.
Biological ethylene sources are being used as an alternative to the chemical application. Some of
which are squash peel, bilimbi fruit, and leaves of Gliricidia sepium have been proven to increase
the rate of ripening.
Generally regarded as safe (GRAS) chemicals are also used to regulate ripening of fresh
produce. The use of calcium chloride, ethanol, and gibberellic acid to counter finger drop in the
‘Latundan’ banana cultivar has been established by Philippine research institutions.

CHALLENGES IN POSTHARVEST HANDLING OF FRESH PRODUCE

With the increasing globalization trends and policies, the Philippine postharvest
technology faces a great challenge to ensure that fresh produces are well positioned and can
compete with other countries. Demands for higher quality standards of fresh fruits and vegetables
should be addressed. Currently, the country is lagging behind in the number of farms that have
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. Farmers should be persuaded more about the
importance of being GAP certified. In addition, the country’s postharvest technologies and
practices need to adapt with the shift to organically-grown and safe fruits and vegetables. The
implementation of the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, alternative methods and technology that
does not use chemical treatments must be researched. The continuing problem of postharvest
losses should be reduced to convert the wastage into profit to fruit and vegetable farmers and
traders. Studies on ways to extend the shelf life and the cost of fruit and vegetable exports are
essential to transport Philippine fresh produce to distant countries. Fresh produce that have
potential for export should also be introduced to the global market. Preserving and improving the
postharvest quality of these potential exports must be provided for their international acceptance.
 REFERENCES

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics Report for 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Department of Budget and Management Government Expenditures in 2012.

Del Carmen, D.R.C. 2012. Postharvest Management of Horticultural Crops: Trends and
Challenges. Paper delivered during “Training Cum Study Tour on Vegetable Postharvest
Handling Systems and Technology” held at Postharvest Horticulture Training and
Research, 21-27 April 2013, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna,
Philippines.

Esguerra, E.B. 2008. Control of finger drop in ‘Latundan’ banana fruits. PCAARRD Highlight
2008. Pp. 76-78. DOST-GIA

Food and Agriculture Organization Production and Trade Statistics for 2011.

Masilungan, G.D. and Absulio, W.L. 2012. Fruits of Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi L.) as a New
Natural Source of Ethylene for Ripening of ‘Saba’ Banana (Musa balbisiana BBB). The
Philippine Agricultural Scientist Vol. 95 No. 4 (December 2012)

Meniano, S.Q. 2007. DOST Pushes Irradiation Technology for Philippine Mangoes. Business
World. June 21, 2007. Retrieved from http://www.bic.searca.org on October 21, 2012.

Postharvest Horticulture Training and Research Center. Lecture presentation files from various
researches, seminars and trainings conducted from 2003-2013. University of the
Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

Rapusas, R. S. 2004. The Philippine Vegetable Industry: Status and Measures for Reducing
Postharvest Losses. Report presented in during the “Seminar on Reduction of
Postharvest Losses of Fruits and Vegetables” sponsored by the Agricultural
Productivity Organization, 5-11 October 2004, New Delhi, India.

Serrano, E.P. 2004. Reduction of Postharvest Losses of Fruits Under Philippine Setting. Report
presented in during the “Seminar on Reduction of Postharvest Losses of Fruits and
Vegetables” sponsored by the Agricultural Productivity Organization, 5-11 October
2004, New Delhi, India.

Yaptenco, K.F., Lacao, M.A.J., Esguerra, E.B., and Serrano, E.P. 2010. Optimization and pilot-
scale testing of modified atmosphere packaging of irradiated fresh ‘Carabao’ mango
(Mangifera indica L.) Fruits. Philippine Journal of Crop Science. 35(2):23-33

Soe, Yiyi. 2011. Physiological and biochemical bases of sprout inhibition in stored onion. Allium
cepa L. cv Red Creole) bulbs by pre- or post-harvest application of ethylene. PhD Thesis.
University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.

View publication stats