Israel’s new mango harvest is due to get underway this week, a little earlier than usual, with expectations generally pointing to very good yields.
According to Nir Harel, product manager at one of the country’s major mango exporters Galilee Export, production is likely to be around 10-15 per cent higher than it was last year.
That prediction comes despite reported weather damage from short spells of very high temperatures and high winds.
The larger crop yield is anticipated to produce a high percentage of smaller fruits.
Total exports last year stood at about 18,000 tonnes, around 45 per cent of this originating from M Shoham, the privately owned company that works closely with leading exporter Mehadrin.
A further 40 per cent of the crop is sold by Galilee Export, with other players including BeFresh (sending 600 tonnes to Russia and 500 tonnes to Europe) and Yonatan Packers.
Israel’s main export markets for mangoes tend to be in Europe (including France, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany), but Galilee Export says it has been making efforts to open up new markets in Canada, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
