Australian grower-packer-exporter OneHarvest is eyeing a share of the lucrative US mango market, following the success of trial shipments to the North American nation this season.
The Queensland-based firm sent 700 trays of its exclusive Calypso branded mangoes to seven stores across Texas and California, as part of a commercial trial organised by the Australian Mango Industry Association.
Kieren Brown, COO of One Harvest’s whole fruit operation Harvest FreshFruits, said the trial was the beginning of a three-year US export programme that would test the market’s appetite for Australian mangoes and build awareness for the Calypdo brand.
“The US is the biggest mango importer in the world, importing over 420m kg each year,” Brown explained. “We could be looking to send fruit to hundreds of stores and potentially weekly shipments. We will look to start earlier in the season to give us a longer supply window and we need to get our supply model right, but we are excited by the sales results, the interest shown to date and the potential.”
OneHarvest partnered with Californian-based firm Giumarra to conduct the initial Calypso shipment. The trial followed the announcement revised export protocol, which has allowed irradiated Australian mangoes to enter the US for the first time.
