“Mango volumes out of Ecuador will be strong for the remainder of November,” says Tom Hall with Freska Produce. “As a result, we are encouraging retailers to promote strongly through the month. When Ecuador comes off its peak volumes, we will start looking towards Peru to start by mid-December,” shared Hall. “Hopefully we will see good volumes and continued retail support the balance of the year.”
Tommy Atkins is main variety from Ecuador
The dominant variety from Ecuador is the Tommy Atkins. Also, some limited volumes of Ataulfos and Hadens are being shipped from Ecuador currently. “We will also see the initial shipments of Kent’s shortly into the US.” According to Hall, consumer understanding and acceptance of the different varieties is increasing. “Consumers increasingly realize that each variety has different characteristics and a different flavor profile.” Freska primarily ships conventional mangos and has an organic program during the Mexican season.
Thanksgiving may cause demand to drop
Demand for mangos typically peaks during the summer months (May, June and July). That time of the year, mangos are sourced from Mexico. However, Hall is content with current mango demand. “Strong retail promotions have kept demand up so far, but I expect it to decline with Thanksgiving being around the corner. In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, retailers usually look to promote more traditional holiday items,” mentioned Hall.
