In the first half of the year, Colombian mango exports amounted to US$11.4 million, a 19.7% increase over the same period of the previous year that was driven by purchases from the Middle East. Colombia exports its mango to 22 international destinations.
Heaven's Fruits, the main mango exporting company in the country, expects to enter the US market in 2023, initially through Florida, a region that is already the gateway for fruit imports from other countries, such as the Dominican Republic and Mexico. The conditions are different in the North American country since the cargo requires a special protective mesh or a hydrothermal treatment.
According to figures from Dane analyzed by Procolombia, the main buyers of Colombian mango in the first half of the year were Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Guatemala, France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Kuwait. The departments that exported the most mango were Cundinamarca, Bogota, Antioquia, and Tolima.
The company sent its first shipments of mango to Dubai and Bahrain in 2018, opening the doors for other fruit exporting companies in the country.
Valentina Garay, commercial manager of Heaven's Fruits, said that 2020 was a very good year for the company. "Orders from the Middle East grew significantly and allowed us to position ourselves strongly. We were able to captivate consumers, especially in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. So far this year, we have exported 347 tons, almost 20% more than in 2021."
This company's main production area is located in the department of Magdalena, especially in Santa Marta and its surroundings. The company exports is products by air from Bogota.
"Mango is one of the fruits that requires the highest priority when consuming it. Its transit by air lasts some four days so it must be consumed in the next 10 to 15 days maximum," she added.
"Our exports have contributed to the diversification of the country's agri-food supply. We'll continue to work with entrepreneurs to find new opportunities abroad, as people in our country can eat a different fruit every day of the year without repeating any," she stated.
Source: agronegocios.co