Ecuador closed its mango export season with a 12.8% increase in shipments. During the harvest, which started in late September and lasted until last month, the sector exported 10.89 million 4 kg boxes of mangoes; 1.24 million more than in the same period last season.
Most of this fruit was shipped to the United States, which received over 80% of the production. The U.S. gives mangoes a preferential tariff treatment under the ATPDEA programme.
According to the National Mango Board's latest report, Ecuador shipped 9.16 million boxes to this market until mid-January, that is, a 13.45% increase compared to the 2011-2012 campaign, when 8.10 million boxes were shipped.
Bernardo Malo, president of the Ecuador Mango Foundation, pointed out that the growth in exports was due to an improvement in the fruit's quality.
The entrepreneur added that shipments towards the U.S. increased because of Colombia not importing any Ecuadorian fruit. This led exporters to shift their shipments towards other markets like Canada and Europe.
The National Mango Board, which collects mango commercialisation data in the United States, rated Ecuador's exports season, which finished on the 19th January, as "successful".
Malo rated the export campaign as commercially "acceptable", as the fruit's prices stayed at sustainable levels, despite a general decrease caused by oversupply.
This season, the FOB value of a box (fruit, cardboard and packing) reached almost 2.80 dollars, without taking into account shipping costs and insurance.
The sector reckons that mango exports between September and January generated a total of 30 million dollars.
This season, 65% of exported mangoes were of the Tommy Atkins variety, which are thick-skinned and juicy; another 20% were Kent and the remaining 15% corresponded to other varieties.
Source: Eluniverso.com
