Despite the uncertainty that the continuous rains has caused on the current mango production, Peru expects the production and demand for fresh mangoes this campaign will increase when compared to 2014. It's worth noting that mango production in 2015 grew by 34% and amounted to 187 million dollars. Peru exports mangoes to 28 countries, especially to the United States and the Netherlands, which account for 70% of exports.
Peru used to devote 27,000 hectares to the production of mangoes. However, in recent years, mango production has decreased as many hectares have been gradually replaced with grape crops. "Mango production is still booming, but not as strongly as in previous years. Many mango producers have started to produce grapes because there is a higher demand for this product, it has a higher productivity, and it is more profitable for producers, " said Juan Antonio Sono, head of Quality Assurance at Procesadora Torre Blanca.
Kent mangoes have the biggest demand because they can be sold fresh and also to the food and industrialized beverages industry. "This variety has the biggest demand because it has a lot of pulp and because it can be used for fresh consumption and to make frozen products. In short, it is more profitable as producers lose less mango," stated Sono.
"This year, Europe has been the market to benefit exporters the most. Prices have remained stable and there has been great demand. Prices in the United States have dropped significantly. A piece of mango cost between 0.95 and 1 dollar in American supermarkets," Sono concluded