The cities of Chahuites, Tapanatepec, Zanatepec and Ixhuatan, which are located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, have recorded winds that range between 100 and 190 km per hour since last weekend. There are more than 3,000 mango producers in these areas who grow mangoes for domestic consumption and for export.
Producers in the area say this extreme weather wiped out between 30 and 50% of the production that is going to be harvested in late January and early February.
"There were very strong wind gusts so we'll lose a great part of the production. In addition, there was a significant loss of bloom because all the trees were affected - the ones that had fruit and the ones that only had flowers," said Alex Martinez, from Delight Mangoes.
These winds would have compromised more than 30,000 tons of exports, which are mainly destined for the United States and Europe. Despite this, producers are still positive. "Prices have been low in the first days of January because of the pressure generated by the high volumes of the 2016 season, both in southern Sinaloa and in Ecuador and Peru. The shortage of fruit caused by the strong winds should help producers and exporters of this region get good prices," stated Martinez.
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