As a result of acid rain fallen in late December in the Mexican state of Guerrero, 30% of the region's mango production, the country's largest producer, was damaged and will have to be sold in local markets of Acapulco, Chilpancingo or Zihuatanejo.
Producers in the area known as "Region of Sanluises", which covers the towns of San Luis San Pedro, San Luis de la Loma and Nuxco, had been obtaining good prices from the sale of Heidi, Ataulfo and Manila mangoes in the domestic markets.
"Prospects for the current season so far are good because we had a very good flowering. But these rains, which have fallen at an unusual time and which are very acidic, will accelerate the multiplication of bacteria. It's a shame having to face this issue at a time of the year when we usually get the best prices, as Guerrero's producers are the first in the season to enter the market with significant volumes," said municipal commissioner of San Luis de la Loma, Guillermo Ruiz de la Peña.
He stressed that the damage is only cosmetic, and thus the fruit can be marketed for processing; growers will strengthen sanitary measures to try saving as much fruit as possible.
Below chart in Spanish:
Below chart in Spanish:
According to the Service for Food and Fisheries Information (SIAP), Guerrero, with 22% of the total, is the the country's largest mango producer, followed by Nayarit with 17% and Sinaloa with 14%, which together accounts for 53% of the domestic production.