The unique flavor of the Sein Ta Lone mango from Myanmar, also known as the Solitaire Diamond mango, has drawn the attention of Chinese consumers in recent years. A huge volume of these mangoes annually enters the Chinese market. This year the Sein Ta Lone mango season officially began in April and the supply season rapidly increased during the months of May and June. The production volume slightly declined in comparison with last year because of poor weather conditions, but this did not result in a price rise.
"There are many challenges for border trade between Myanmar and China because of the outbreak of Covid-19. Preventative measures restrict the number of trucks that can cross the border. Products have to be offloaded and then loaded onto another truck before they can continue their journey. This is extremely harmful to fruits such as mangoes that have strict storage requirements. Some mangoes rot during long-distance transport. They have to be thrown away. In some mangoes the product quality declines during transport. These conditions greatly reduce the price of Myanmar mangoes when they finally reach the Chinese market. Our survey shows that the export price of Myanmar mangoes destined for the Chinese market has dropped by 40%-50% in comparison to last season." This is according to Mr. Luo Xian, CEO of Guangxi Nanning Global Orchard Trade Co., Ltd.
Mango orchard in Myanmar
Mr. Luo further stated: "As far as I know, Myanmar also exports mangoes to Singapore, in addition to China. This year, however, the shipping cost has soared and there is a serious container shortage. Moreover, the rent of refrigerated containers continues to rise every year. These factors have reduced Myanmar mango export to Singapore. The decline in export volume means that some of these mangoes have to be absorbed by the domestic market instead, which pushed the price of Myanmar mangoes down. There is no way that the export price of Myanmar mangoes destined for the Chinese market can rise when the domestic mango price is so low."
Myanmar mango
In addition, Cambodia recently obtained permission to export mangoes to the Chinese market. Cambodia has a stable mango supply and a competitive price advantage, which means that Cambodian mangoes will likely occupy an important position in the Chinese market in a relatively short period. This is without a doubt another blow to the Myanmar mango industry.
"It will be difficult to predict how the Myanmar mango trade with China will develop. One of the main factors is the speed with which the pandemic is brought under control, but that remains an uncontrollable element," said Mr. Luo.
For more information:
Mr. Luo Xian - CEO
Guangxi Nanning Global Orchard Trade Co., Ltd.
Tel.: +86 771 2364 463