Right now, Mexico is supplying North America with a majority of its mango needs, and Goldberg is waiting for South American to start supplying the fruit to U.S. markets.
“Brazil is supposed to start in August, and that’s when we personally will be bringing the fruit to the U.S., ” explained Goldberg.
In the meantime, prices can vary widely. According to the USDA market news, one-layer flats of mangos are coming in anywhere between $4.00 and $10.00, depending on if they are conventional or organic and depending on the destination the fruit is being shipped to.
As for that strong demand, Goldberg has seen a steady increase in usage of the tropical fruit.
“Mangos have definitely become more mainstream,” said Goldberg. “The National Mango Board has done a heck of a job promoting mangos and bringing them to the mainstream market. My own son used to not know what a mango was, now he can't get enough of them.”
A peek at the National Mango Board website also highlights the trend to use mangos in just about everything, from mango mimosas and smoothies to mango salsa and even mango nachos.