This week, Hars & Hagebauer put its first early mangoes on a boat from Ivory Coast for arrival in Antwerp early in April. “This early Amelie mango isn’t bought by all of our customers,” says importer Henk van der Meij of Hars & Hagebauer. “But on a small market, we still need them. Arrivals from Peru will be slim next week, and practically non-existent the week after that. Just a few days before Easter!”
“We’ll load a few containers of Amelie before the Kent variety can be loaded in the second week of April. The first Kent won’t arrive until late April. After a slow start, supply will really get into its stride in early May,” Henk expects.
The African shippers can’t give a clear answer when asked about the available volumes this season. “Africa doesn’t have umbrella organisations that make harvest estimates or surveys some other way,” says Henk, who visited Ivory Coast about two weeks ago. “During my visit, the fruit was still small, but we’ve now had some rain. However, sizes won’t be large at the start of the season.”
“All in all, the market is very different for both growers and the market compared to last year. It just goes to show, the mango market is always exciting,” Henk concludes.
For more information:
Henk van der Meij
Hars & Hagebauer
Handelsweg 35
2988 DB Ridderkerk, the Netherlands
Tel: +31 180 74 51 00
henk@harshagebauer.nl
www.themangospecialist.com