Mangoes, together with avocados, have become part of the identity of La Axarquia. In fact, this Malaga region is the largest European producer of this fruit, which has revolutionized the economy of the area (one of the poorest in Europe until the arrival of subtropical crops, as recalled by the president of the Diputación de Málaga, Francisco Salado). In recent decades, the sector has built one of the most thriving fruit and vegetable industries in Europe.
And finally, Malaga's mangoes will have a tool to differentiate themselves internationally based on their geographical origin thanks to the recently awarded collective brand 'Mango de Málaga'; an achievement from the Spanish Association of Tropical Fruit Producers that would not have been possible without the support of the majority of producers and marketers in the province, as well as of the European chains themselves, including the German Edeka, which has been one of the major promoters in the launch of the brand in the EU market.
"The Spanish Association of Tropical Fruit Producers was created 8 years ago with the aim of defending the tropical fruit production and its producers. For many years, we have seen the mangoes produced in our region losing their marks of identity along the distribution chain, and not standing out when compared with fruits from other origins and producing countries," said Domingo Medina, president of the association, at the official presentation of the brand in Malaga.
"But our fruit can boast of having been harvested when optimally ripe, as well as of a lower carbon footprint than the fruit produced in other tropical countries. This isn't only a result of the shorter shipping routes, as the European consumer markets are closer. There is also the fact that, in these countries, there is a higher incidence of pests and diseases, so a lot of pesticides and plant protection products are used to counteract them.
"The objective of the registration of the 'Mango de Málaga' brand is to ensure recognition and promote this tropical fruit while helping consolidate Malaga's name in the consumer markets," he said. The fact is that Malaga, after all, is the main mango producer on the continent, accounting for 80% of the approximately 4,800 hectares devoted to mango production in the region of Andalusia.
"Moreover, the excellent hydric stress conditions and the great amount of sunshine in the area where the mangos are produced ensure that the fruits contain plenty of flavonoids, a healthy antioxidant that isn't as present in the mangos from other tropical countries."
Registering the 'Mango de Málaga' brand has been the first step towards enhancing the value of "this excellent and healthy product from our province," said Domingo, and it won't be the last, as the association will continue to work to ensure the recognition of the unique and distinctive quality of Malaga's mangoes through a protected geographical indication.
"The initiative has received strong support from the beginning"
A committee has been created to manage the brand which has an equal proportion of members from the mango producer sector and from the handling, marketing and processing sectors in the province. It will be in charge of the legal protection of the collective mark, according to Prudencio Lopez, head of the committee itself.
"The initiative of the 'Mango de Málaga' brand has been strongly supported from the beginning by almost a dozen tropical fruit handling warehouses and processing companies in Malaga, which are currently in the process of registration as authorized operators for the use of the collective mark."
In fact, this is being done by approximately 90% of the marketers in the province. This, together with the regulation in the use of the collective mark, is helping unify the marketing rules and ensuring that 'Mango de Málaga' always offers a consistent quality, accredited by an external control entity; in this case, the CAAE.
"The image of the collective brand 'Mango de Málaga', which recognizes the geographical origin of our mangoes, is going to have great influence in the distribution chain," as it will allow consumers to recognize the product as local within the European continent, which entails a lower carbon footprint and greater food safety and quality.
"One of our objectives is to promote the 'Mango de Málaga' project in the domestic market and in Europe, with the aim of gaining market share on other origins that overlap with our season," said Prudencio. "Therefore, we invite all marketers and producers to integrate and make the 'Mango de Málaga' brand stronger, and thus help unify quality and promotion criteria."
For more information:
Management Committee of Mango de Málaga brand
Prudencio López
prudencio@naturaltropic.es