Last year, mango production in the country reached 34,314 tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture (MARD). When compared to the production in 2007, mango production has had an accumulated growth of 36% in the last ten years, i.e. a 3.1% annual growth, which is very moderate for a country that aspires to enter seriously into this fruit's global market.
Nobody is proposing that we plant the entire country with mangoes to enter the Top 15 of the world producers, which is led by India with 19.5 million tons in 2017, and by Mexico (1.9 million), Brazil (1.0), Haiti (0.67), Cuba (0.42), Peru (0.38) and Colombia (0.32) in Latin America and the Caribbean. It's surprising to see that the production estimated by FAO for Haiti in 2017 was 670,878 tons, i.e. 20 times what the Dominican Republic produced. It's clear that the country isn't sowing enough mango.
According to the MARD, in 2017 the Dominican Republic exported US $ 19.6 million in mangoes, which is equivalent to about 17,192 tons, i.e. 50% of the total production of that year. Haiti, despite having produced 20 times more mangoes than the Dominican Republic, and that its Francisque variety is highly sought after in the world market, barely exported US $ 12.3 million in 2017, registering a sharp drop in relation to the US $33 million it exported in 2016
It's unclear how much the Dominican Republic is really exporting. The data from the mango buyers does not adequately reflect what we have registered as exports.
But let's not get distracted by this 78% disparity. Unlike avocados, the Dominican Republic is exporting a considerable percentage (50%) of its annual mango production. As we noted, the country exported 17,192 of the 34,314 tons it produced last year. This indicator compares well with the 47% that Ecuador exported, 20% that Mexico shipped out and 16% that Brazil sent abroad. In the region, only Peru (62%) exhibited a higher export coefficient of mangoes than the Dominican Republic.
That does not mean there isn't room to increase mango exports. It would be necessary to increase the technological levels used in the farms of mango producers, which are outdated and negatively impact their competitiveness as they result in quality deficiencies that reduce the acceptance of Dominican mango in international markets.
The packers report relatively high levels of rejection of fruits for export (18%), after their arrival at the packing plants. The reasons for rejecting fruit for that market include the damage caused by blows and the existence of signs or physical stains on them.
Many producers do not comply with the quality and safety standards of the mango intended for export. Few have certified their farms in internationally accepted standards such as GlobalGap, GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), or GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). The situation is more serious in the case of the collectors; as almost all of them have failed to addressed the issue. Only the packers have a growing commitment to quality standards.
To achieve mango exports of US $200 million in ten years, it will be necessary to increase the planted area and yields.
Source: elcaribe.com.do