"Brazil: São Paulo producers start harvesting "Palmer" mango"

Since the end of last year, work at Marco Aurélio Ferraro, in Taquaritinga, hasn't stoped. In December, he harvested the "Tommy" mango variety and started harvesting at a loss as there were no buyers for his fruit.

Now, Ferraro is harvesting the "Palmer" variety and he's more optimistic because there's more demand. "The situation improved because the industry is again buying and the market too", he said.

In the region, "Palmer" mango takes the majority of the planted area. The variety can be sold in the traditional market, but it can also go for processing as it's low on fibres. This month, factories are processing fruit again, but in a small amounts, so the negotiated price with producers is under the cultivation costs.

"Today, a kilo is being sold at R$0.18 and the production cost is above R$0.24. There's a loss for the producer, but it would be bigger if he couldn't sell his harvest. With a price under cost there is no profit, but it avoids bigger losses", explained Marco António dos Santos, president for the Rural Syndicate of Taquaritinga.

Palmer mango harvesting will be ended in March.

Source: G1