According to projections by Bernardo Malo, president of the Mango del Ecuador Foundation and member of the National Mango Board (NMB), an association of US origin that concentrates the six major exporting countries, mango production between October 2015 and January 2016 is expected to be low, which would affect exports,.
Mango del Ecuador brings together 4 packers, 20 exporters and about 71 producers. According to Malo, the decrease in production would be due to the current high temperatures. "When it’s very hot the trees bloom poorly and therefore produce fruits irregularly," said the leader in the framework of the event 'Producing and Marketing Mangoes with Export Quality', held in Guayaquil.
According to the foundation, the country exports 10 million 4 kilo boxes of mango per season, generating between $35 million and $40 million in sales.
Different strategies to improve fruit quality and export, especially to the US market, which buys 80% of the mango Ecuador produces, were discussed at the meeting. The remaining 20% is sold to Europe and other markets.
The results of scientific research seeking to link healing properties attributed to mango were also discussed. Leonardo Ortega, head of the research division of NMB, said they would test, in the field, the laboratory results that indicate that mango consumption can help against certain cancers.
Source: eluniverso.com