The beloved Irwin mangoes of the Pingtung Mango Festival are now sweetly in season

By MOOK Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Chen Guanxin

The beloved Irwin mangoes of Pingtung County are now in season. The Pingtung County Government, Fangshan Township Office, and Fangshan District Farmers' Association will hold the 2012 "Pingtung Mango Festival" on June 9 and 10 at the Fangshan Coastal Recreation Area from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event will feature a baby beauty pageant in bikinis, the free giveaway of 100 bottles of mango juice, a children’s art and dance performance, as well as nearly 60 fresh mango stalls, slushy sales, and a variety of agricultural and fishery specialty gifts and products for purchase.

Pingtung is located at the southern tip of Taiwan. With its mild climate, nourishing tropical sea breezes, and abundant sunshine, it is ideal for growing Irwin mangoes. Farmers continuously improve cultivation and management techniques, emphasizing...mangoes ripening naturally on the tree,without the use of ripening agents, resulting in sweet, juicy flesh that is highly favored by overseas consumers. The mangoes have successfully been exported to Japan, South Korea, and mainland China. Fangshan Township Mayor Chow Chiao-yun said, "The Irwin mangoes produced in Pingtung go through multiple quality steps including weight grading, pesticide inspection, and sweetness testing, ensuring excellent quality."

Native mangoes are also one of Pingtung’s major agricultural specialties, mainly grown in Sandimen, Majia, and Yanpu, covering about 2,600 hectares. This year, due to weather impacts, the yield of native mangoes—typically in peak season during May and June—has decreased by nearly half. The native mango promotion event, held for five consecutive years, has been halted for the first time this year.

“They were just about to be harvested when... they had to be stopped,” farmer Yan... stated. The over 300-hectare native mango orchards, which previously allowed harvesting from April to June, have been delayed to late May this year, but only about 500 kilograms can be harvested each day. With low yields and the harvest season ending around mid-June, those who want to try native mangoes should seize the opportunity.

Pingtung Mango Festival event website: eyearrow.com/w_link/2012mango/1_hotnews.html

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