According to reports from UPA Málaga, mango producers in the province of Malaga, who charge a fixed price for their fruit based on size, are experiencing a difficult year as the drought has had a general impact on the size of the fruit.
"It is a disgrace that they pay producers 50 cents less for a gram of difference. Mango is considered to have a good caliber starting at 300 grams. They take advantage when it weighs less to pay half and up to a third of the price. They don't realize that it's the same quality and that's what they should be paying for,” denounced Francisco Moscoso, the general secretary of the organization. "They pay us 0.25 euro per dollar if the caliber is below 200 grams, 0.50 euro per kilo if it goes from 200 to 350 grams, and 1 euro starting at 300 grams. These are unfair prices. There is no justification for them, except for speculation. As always, a few want to enrich themselves at the expense of farmers."
UPA Málaga stresses that the lack of rainfall has made the fruit smaller but that it hasn't affected its quality. “Consumers are buying an excellent quality product. This year, calibers are smaller because of the lack of rainfall. In many cases, they are not exceeding 350 grams, which, according to those who buy the mangoes from us, is the point they look better to sell. It's abuse. They take advantage of the circumstances to pay producers less and as an excuse to import much cheaper mangoes from other countries that they then sell more expensively, making a greater profit while our farmers are ruined," Francisco stated in outrage.
Source: agroinformacion.com