“It’s the end of the season right now—it starts in October and runs until the middle of December. And there’s not much volume now,” says Vicky Cabello of Cabe Fruit Produce LLC in McAllen, Tx. “The volume is lower than last year. The growers are saying it’s because of weather conditions such as the rains.”
Cabe imports largely Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins and while the season started on time, the Ataulfo season is ending slightly earlier due to lower supplies. The mango supply in the U.S. right now is largely from Ecuador and a bit from Brazil, says Cabello, who also notes that when Ecuador wraps up, Peru’s season begins.
Demand steady
Demand however is solid in the U.S. for mangoes. “We have good demand on the big sizes ranging from 12 to 16 sizes. On the small ones, there’s less demand for those,” says Cabello. “It’s a good time in demand for mango, even though the weather is not helping in places like Chicago and New York. It’s cold there but they’re taking mango.”
Pricing is also steady and on par with last year’s pricing. “We’re selling the big sizes around $10-$12 F.O.B. and the smaller ones at $5,” says Cabello.
While volumes were down this season, Cabello also added that the quality was better. “Last year we had some problems with mangoes on the inside—there was some black inside from the cold. And this year we haven’t had any problems,” she says.
For more information:
Vicky Cabello
Cabefruit Produce LLC
Tel: +1-956-686-7359
vickycabello@cabefruitproduce.com