The high temperatures have advanced the 2024 Kent mango campaign in the Moro district of Ancash. As a result of the heat, there's been a lack of flowering that has caused a drastic 75% decrease in production in the district's fields and throughout the Nepeña Valley.
Despite this, producers who have managed to obtain fruit are selling their product at prices ranging from S/9 to S/10 per kilogram of mango, destined for export by air. This is four times the price achieved last year when the mango barely reached S/2.5 in some cases.
Juan Cerna Espinoza, executive director of the Service for Integral Rural Development (SEDIR), said that, even though production is limited due to the weather, the campaign will last until March due to the different flowering stages. However, this increase in the price of mango will benefit small producers, improving their economy after two difficult campaigns.
Cerna also stressed the importance of small producers being informed about the climate so they take preventive measures and avoid a reduction in plant productivity.
SEDIR reported that the Nepeña Valley in Ancash has 1,200 hectares of mango and an average annual investment of S/10,000 per hectare. The normal production per hectare stands at 15,000 tons. This year, however, production has decreased drastically.
As for the harvest, workers are coordinated to select the mangoes that meet the size, weight, and color requirements for export to the United States, Europe, and Asia. While the men collect the fruit, the women clean the mangoes in collection centers.
Flor Silva, a farm worker, spoke about her experience working with mangoes. She and her family are from Pedregal Alto, Tambo Grande (the main mango-production area in Piura and Peru), and work with mango six months a year, moving from Piura to Moro. Men receive S/5 for each 20-kilogram crate harvested, while women are paid a daily wage of S/80.
Source: agraria.pe