Right now, it's the beginning of the Haitian (Francis) mango season, which runs typically until July. “Haiti is harvesting right now. Supply is looking very good – double the volumes from last season,” said Christopher Gonzalez of WP Produce. Mangos are distributed across the USA, though he says there’s not much of a market for them in the Midwest or California. “Not a lot of people know about Haitian (Francis) mango on the West coast and Midwest. This year, we are looking to change that. Gonzalez mentioned that most people compared it to the Mexican (ataulfo) mango but it’s not the same. “I am a little biased but I do think it’s the best tasting mango. Eating quality is very good right now.”
Mango is Haiti's most important export fruit
Haitian mango harvest starts in the south and as the season is progressing the fruits are moving to the northern region. The mango is the most exported variety from the island, and he says they’re also one of the juiciest, with consistent and rich flavor. “In addition to flavor, the mango season (March-August) has a significant impact on the local economy, supporting over 50,000 families with jobs/source of income. Mangoes are the fruit of life in Haiti.”
Green skin avocado season wrapping up
Green skin avocados from the Dominican Republic have about two weeks left in the season, then will start up again in late October. “The past season went very well,” Gonzalez said. “No complaints. We haven’t done the numbers yet, but we did increase our volume this year. Last year, we had a bug for half of the season so it was a little bit of a setback.” As pioneers of the Dominican Green Skin Avocado, WP will be introducing a new variety into the market that will last until April to fill in the gap until the Florida season begins. The skin will turn purple similar to the Hass variety when ready to eat.
In April, Gonzalez will be traveling to Honduras to ramp up its Asian fruit and veg program, sourcing Chinese eggplant, Indian bitter melon, long squash, Chinese bitter melon, and Chive flower “We’re going to visit the grower and see how production is going. We made an investment in Honduras and we are hopeful the investment will yield good product.”
For more information:
Christopher Gonzalez
WP Produce
Tel: 305-326-8333