"Spain: "Mango prices have tripled at some points since start of campaign"

For Pepe Beltran, manager of Hispalco, "mangoes are highly valued by the markets and appreciated by consumers, as it is a fruit that allows for many combinations. If there is a focus on supplying good quality and the market does not become saturated with sub-par produce, the upward trend will continue."

As for mango consumption in Spain, "unfortunately, its development is not considerable," continues Beltran. "If Spain consumes more mangoes it is because we have inhabitants from Latin American countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Brazil or Bolivia, where mangoes are largely consumed, but this is not the case of Spanish consumers, who are only gradually discovering them," he points out.

Regarding the continuous expansion of Spain's mango acreage, Beltrán says that "the acreage is growing at the same pace as consumption, and as a result of the good prices obtained each year. There is still room for further growth," he says. "This has been the same with avocado, for example. Four years ago, its average consumption in Europe was only of 3 million kilos, and last year, the continent's average consumption stood between 6 and 7 million kilos per week, with prices that have remained high."

With brands like Monna Lisa®, Unicorn® and Hispalco®Bio, the Valencian company markets its mangoes under the Ready-to-eat concept. "It is the most common way to market mangoes. We do not sell fruit that doesn't meet the right conditions of quality, colour and ripening for the Ready-to-eat segment," stated Beltrán.