Australia’s mango season is wrapping up with 8.5m trays produced in 2014/15, up from 7.2m trays in the previous season, according to ABC Rural.
The increase in volume was matched by strong demand and profitable returns for most in the industry, which Australian Mango Industry Association CEO Robert Gray has put down to a well-coordinated approach to the season.
“We’ve seen some real discipline from growers on quality, focusing on making sure the produce lines up with what consumers wanted; making sure the fruit had great flavour, which translates into repeat purchases from consumers,” Gray told ABC Rural. “We were able to line up good quality with improved volumes, and match that up with great consumer demand for a produce that we know when we get it right, the consumers keep coming back for more.”
Exporting around 12 per cent of the crop, Australia’s major export destinations for mangoes include New Zealand, the Middle East, Singapore and Hong Kong, with the industry sending its first shipments of mangoes to the US this year.
“Industry has a five-year export strategic plan, which is targeted at growing exports to 20 per cent of the crop,” Gray said. “The energy going into delivering that is really going to have a [positive] impact on profitability for growers.”
