The mango season in Mexico is just about to begin for the year and producers are preparing for the busy months ahead. Some US-based distributors are anticipating a careful start to the season, after heavy rains in the early growing regions. They said growers should be scrutinizing quality to ensure a good start to the ataulfo import season.
"Ataulfos are on track to start first," shared Nissa Pierson of Crespo Organic. "Some growers have started picking while others will start picking next week and in the weeks to follow. Ideally we encourage growers to be particular in the pack-out because of the heavy rains during December when fruit formation was taking place. There have been reports of some quality issues on the earlier onset fruit, so growers like us are opting to have a little patience with fruit behind the onset showing better quality."
Jorge Crespo
Pierson added however that most of the issues will only be aesthetic, adding that the company's focus on quality is a prudent investment for the season ahead. "Some of the issues we will see with early ataulfos are certainly only skin deep – blemishes and marks from rain with internal flesh and flavor not compromised," she said. "Organic ataulfos are a considerable component of our program and since consumers look to Mexico for ataulfos, we do not want to deter them early in the season with substandard fruit. The demand is typically very strong for ataulfos right out of the gate so it is a difficult dance, trying to make sure volumes and quality are in line with each other. We find that consumer support is highest throughout the season when they are pleased at the kickoff."
Crespo Organic looks set to have fruit arriving by the end of the month around the week of the 28th, Pierson said, with volumes steadily increasing through the month of February. "In March we move into greater volumes of both ataulfos - also much better quality - and round mangoes. Sizing outlook is good as the weather was not too cold and fruit is expected to develop into normal size throughout both Oaxaca and Chiapas. We expect good volumes in total with newly certified orchards also acquired in the south, despite an overall feeling of less fruit this season due to the trees moving through a dormancy period."
"Before" photo of the new packhouse
New packhouse
El Grupo Crespo already runs one of the largest capacity mango packhouses in Mexico, located in Rosario, Sinaloa. This packhouse operates throughout the northern Mexico mango season. The company has announced the opening of another mango packhouse, located in Chiapas, along with over 100 hectares of mango orchards, much of which, they say, has been certified organic. Empaque Don Jorge II is set to open in mid-February, with the first organic mangoes under the Crespo Organic brand, due to be packed in March.
"We are currently putting the finishing touches on the new packhouse and by March, we should be packing organic Crespo ataulfos and round mangoes from this new packhouse," Pierson announced. "It is located in Ocozocoautla, Chiapas and was originally a warehouse that we have fully converted into a mango packing house. The new packhouse is 20,000 square feet in size and 50,000 square feet in total including the loading docks, parking, outside area and so forth. We have the capacity to do four truck loads per day with four new hydrothermal tanks put in and state of the art equipment for washing, sorting and packing."
"The packhouse will employ people from the local community and there will also be several supervisors, managers and specialists from our own existing labor force," she added.
Inside the packhouse during construction
Control over entire process is vital
The company highlighted that having control over the entire process, along with what they see as huge growth in the organic category, were key elements in the decision to open the new packhouse and acquire new acreage. Being located in the southern growing region offered the opportunity to expand their availability earlier in the Mexican season.
"As our programs continue to grow and our customers continue to look to us for more consistency in quality, supply and sizing, the south was an important region to improve the production and packing side of the equation," Pierson explained. "We already have a fantastic partnership with an Oaxacan grower and packer who does a fantastic job, but as sales volumes grew we knew we needed to grow with that. Having control over the entire process is key to building programs, sustainably and retaining loyal customers. Furthermore, the more hands that are in the supply chain, the more dollars are taken away from the source and less is re-invested into the production side. We are not only one of the largest organic mango producers and packers but we are one of the only ones with a direct trade model, so as to ensure that the system remains strong and sustainable for us, our customers and our communities in Mexico."
"The mango packhouse will pack mangoes only," Pierson concluded. "It will pack RCF brand conventional mangoes as well as the Crespo Organic brand mangoes for RCF Distributors. The packing shed will be an individual thriving mango packing business for El Grupo Crespo, packing fruit for other growers and labels as time and room permits. We are incredibly grateful to have a team of people that are truly experts in their fields; from production, to distribution, to sales and more rare to our industry - consumer driven kitchen-centric education, that’s relevant, practical and useful in the consumers hungry quest for all things mango."
For more information:
Nissa Pierson
Crespo Organic
Ph: +1 (347) 306-3286
nissa@ger-nis.com
www.crespoorganic.com