The Peruvian mango campaign finished in late March with almost the same volume as that achieved in the previous season, despite the fact that the weather phenomenon El Niño has taken a toll on the mango production and affected the quality. César Morocho, of Frutas Piuranas, explains the situation: "The darkening of the pulp at the point when the fruit ripens has been more common, thus affecting the quality of our mangoes, but fortunately, we have not suffered any cases of anthracnose, a fungus that appears when there is rain and spreads in wet conditions during the product's transit to its destination. Preventive measures and adequate protection have fortunately helped keep the fruit free from it."
The key to growth in exports is the continuous monitoring of the demand. The markets are becoming increasingly demanding and the fruit's quality is one of the main factors determining the purchase decision. Also, it has become trendy to ripen mangoes for their marketing as ready-to-eat. Given that mangoes are a climacteric fruit, i.e. they go through two ripening processes, one in the tree and another one on the post-harvest, the export process for mangoes intended for ready-to-eat marketing should be more demanding.
"If we harvest the fruit with low Brix and internal colour below 1.5, our customers will fail, because the mangoes are not going to ripen as they should, so the proper handling of these aspects is very important when offering our products to these markets. We, as exporters of Peruvian mangoes, are responsible not only for our brand, but also for the reputation of the country's production. When a consumer buys a Peruvian mango, he or she does not look at the brand, but at the origin," stresses the representative of Frutas Piuranas.
On Sunday 10 April, presidential elections were held in Peru, and it is expected for the new government not to stop the country's exports. Peru exports mainly to the United States, the UK, Europe, and since recently, to Japan and Korea. "While exports do not depend directly on the Government, this plays an important role in the promotion and opening of new markets, as well as on the assistance provided to the exporters by its institutions. Last year, Peru exported more than 110,000 tonnes of mangoes, and we hope that with an orderly supply, innovative presentations and the opening of new markets, this figure will increase gradually," concludes Morocho.
