"The mango market is known for its highly volatile nature, and last week was another clear example," says Henk van der Meij of Hars & Hagebauer. "Despite a significantly lower harvest in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali for a week or two—or even three—we still saw a large volume of mangoes return to the market in a short time, leading to a drop in prices."
"Up until two weeks ago, prices were quite ordinary, and there was plenty of fruit available, with occasional moments of slight oversupply. But in a short span, the market suddenly shifted. Since mangoes cannot be stored, demand for fresh fruit picked up quickly, and within ten days the market flipped to one of shortage," the importer continued.
"There are very few alternatives available. Volumes from Brazil have also not increased, and a supplier like the Dominican Republic is playing only a limited role in the market. At the same time, the situation could change just as quickly, as Senegal is expected to have sufficient volumes again in about ten days," adds Henk, who has just returned from a visit to his suppliers. "And what happens after that, as is so often the case in the mango market, remains completely unpredictable."
For more information:
Henk van der Meij
Hars & Hagebauer
Selderijweg 90F
2988 DG Ridderkerk
Tel: +31 180 745100
[email protected]
www.harshagebauer.nl