Pricing on mangoes will strengthen this week. This push in pricing is on top of pricing that is already higher than last year at this time. Ecuador was short with its crop this year and there also wasn’t as much Brazilian fruit in the market. “Overall the whole market on mangoes since the beginning of October has been higher than normal and it’s going to continue that way until we see volume out of Mexico which may not be until April,” says Gary Clevenger of Freska Produce.
This week, mango supplies will tighten up starting with fewer arrivals from Brazil and Ecuador. “Peru also really hasn’t gotten started yet,” says Clevenger. “We’ll see the market tighten up for the balance of December until Peru gets going which may not be until the third week of December. We’re going to see a tight mango market here for the next three to four weeks, maybe longer.”
That tightness partly depends on the weather in South America and how it plays out particularly with Peru. “They’re a little bit later this year. They didn’t have much of a flower this year, so their supplies are way below normal,” Clevenger says. That’s going to impact volume coming into the U.S. because shipments are also headed to Europe.
Awaiting Mexican production
On varieties, that means supplies will be slim on both red and yellow mangoes. “Mexico won’t get started on yellows until the middle of January and red not until February,” says Clevenger. Some flowering has started in southern Mexico but the other northern regions have not started yet. “Chiapas and Oaxaca have had the flowering for the red and yellow varieties and other regions will follow. It takes around 90 days from flower to harvest.” While it’s still early, there also hasn’t been as much rain as is needed which could affect mango sizing.
As for demand, it’s been decent for mangoes given the lower supplies and higher prices. “People haven’t been taking as much but they are taking what’s available out there. So demand has continued to to be good,” he says. “Once the decent volume comes out of Mexico, prices will go down and demand will go up with that.”
For more information:
Gary Clevenger
Freska Produce
Tel: +1 (805) 650-1040
Gary@FreskaProduce.com
www.freskaproduce.com