On Friday, the first mangoes will arrive by air. From week 15 the smaller sizes will come by sea. From week 16 and 17, the larger sizes will also arrive via sea freight. "The first mangoes are usually smaller", says the importer. According to him, there is a clear trend among growers in the Ivory Coast. They pay a lot of attention ton the required certification and use hardly any pesticides. They also comply with social accreditation schemes such as Grasp and Smeta.
Van Ravenswaaij used to also sell the Amelie variety. They now focus their whole attention on exporting the Kent mango. "The market prospects for this variety are good. The season in Peru is now on its last legs. The mangoes' quality is decreasing and prices are increasing. I, therefore, expect reasonable prices at the start of the season."
Van Ravenswaaij focuses on selling mangoes mainly to Dutch exporters. The Ivory Coast's mango season traditionally lasts five to six weeks. "Then the Ivory Coast's season comes to an end, and it is other West African countries' turn. The end of the season is, by and large, dependent on the weather. If it starts raining, we stop immediately. For now, we are not going to assume that this will be the case", concludes Christiaan.