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As organic mango demand and production peaks this month, supplies from Mexico and Peru are forecast to be slightly less than previous years, with overall quality rated as excellent.
Chris Ford, organic category manager for Oppy, said he expects the company to have steady organic mango supplies of the Kent varietal (fair-trade certified as well as organic) through March. “In general we are seeing less fruit than last year, approximately 25-30 percent less. Demand for organic mangoes this winter has been strong, mirroring the overall demand for certified organic produce. The market remains strong as Ecuador experienced some quality issues and inconsistency which is good for Peruvian growers as typically the market crashes due to oversupply post holidays”, he said.
Chiapas Irrigation (Ataulfo Mangoes)
Jan Bernard, Peruvian organic mango producer for Pro Natur, said the orchards appeared to be heading into a dormant cycle, a natural stage which produces less volume and also warned of the looming El Niño.
Heavy El Niño rains are forecast for Peru’s later season mango growing region, located north western Peru. Many importers have started to cut back on late season Peruvian fruit based on the uncertainty of the weather, and as a result, a great deal of pressure gets laid upon Mexico’s early fruit.
Chiapas Farmers
Producers like El Grupo Crespo (Crespo Organic) have put tremendous focus on the strength of their southern program, not necessarily for taking on more new business, but being able to sustain the growth of their existing customers, with more consistent quality during the transition into Mexico.
The first regions to start in Mexico are in the south---Oaxaca and Chiapas. Most Mexican packing houses currently have either just opened, are opening or will open within the next few weeks. Mexico’s Ataulfo mango, is always the first to appear, followed by round mango varietals, about six weeks later.
“The weather has been “mostly cooperative” said Jose Angel Crespo, of RCF Distributors. “The southern region was, thus far, spared from the massive cold fronts and heavy winds that can be typical in mid-January, often wreaking havoc on the early fruit. The region did experience heavy rains in December during fruit formation, which can and has led to aesthetic defects on the first to pick fruits.”
Round organic mango production in Mexico is expected to commence in March. Quality and size look to be good, but it is too early to tell how the northern regions of Nayarit and Sinaloa, which are currently in bloom, will fare as only one percent of all mango blossoms become fruit.
In Chiapas and Oaxaca, sizing should be on the larger size, as weather hasn’t been too cold.
Ataulfo Mangoes
Tommy Mangoes
Mexico exports 5 main organic mango varietals; Ataulfo, Tommy Atkins, Kent, Haden, and Keitt, with several other specialty varietals. The southern regions of Oaxaca and Chiapas produce mostly organic Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins mango varietals.
