Bill Vogel, chairman and president of the National Mango Board and president of Los Angeles-based Vision Produce, outlines the association’s strategy for the year ahead.
How would you sum up the US mango market in 2013?
Bill Vogel: The mango market for 2013 was generally a good one. There were some low price weeks for Mexico in June and July, but that has been a recurring problem for them. For other countries there were some weak spots in their programme for any number of reasons. But their overall season was pretty good.
The transition from country to country seems to be improving each year as everyone realises they need to pay attention to the volume coming into the US in order to not oversupply the market. And the exporting countries are wisely paying attention and doing something about it.
Preliminary reports from the US Department of Commerce show a total increase in volume of approximately 12 per cent with most that coming from Mexico. Prices remained respectable for the most part, so I think we can clearly see the work of the NMB in creating additional movement.
To what extent is the continued rise in mango consumption in the US down to efforts by the NMB to educate consumers about how to select, ripen and prepare the fruit? Will this continue to be the focus of NMB promotional campaigns?
BV: These are the biggest barriers to increasing mango consumption. Our 2013 consumer survey showed that our-fifths of respondents liked the taste of mangoes but approximately three out of ten found them difficult to cut, and of these, 38 per cent didn’t know where to start.
Additionally, only 51 per cent knew to judge ripeness by touch while 25 per cent still look for the red colour. Although we have seen improvements in these key education points we still have a long way to go.
Will education remain the focus of future NMB campaigns?
BV: We will continue to focus our marketing campaigns on these key messages. In order to inspire consumers to use mangoes we have developed “Mangover” – upgrading your everyday menu with mangoes. Once consumers know how to select, ripen and cut the fruit, it is easy to improve your everyday oatmeal, salad, sandwich, etc. with the addition of this versatile fruit.
How important is innovation when it comes to driving mango consumption? Where is this coming from within the industry currently?
BV: I believe the NMB is on the cutting edge of driving mango consumption. Part of our marketing programme involves social networking and involvement in other information sharing and communication methods surrounding the internet. Our consumer outreach uses the latest social methods.
The innovative work the NMB has done in getting mangoes onto menus and into chefs’ recipes has been very beneficial in driving consumption. We see the fresh-cut category also creating additional consumer demand. Traditional media outreach is also still a big component. This is evidenced by the fact that one of our promotions was nominated for an award from PR Week.
What key projects does the NMB have lined up for 2014?
BV: We have a strategy meeting in March in which we will be planning our promotional programmes for the next three years. It will be an interesting meeting where 18 mango industry leaders put forth their ideas and suggestions.
Marketing is always challenging and exciting and it will be fun to see what new ideas come out of the meeting. In terms of research we will make sure that food safety is a priority, while continuing a wide variety of nutritional and health studies that show some real promise and could yield ground breaking results.
Elsewhere, our industry outreach programmes will expand to be more inclusive and communicative to all the members from all the countries, especially when it comes to disseminating, promoting and sharing information on food safety as we become more aware of it. We want to improve our crop forecasting models so that it becomes a very relevant tool for merchandisers.
You mentioned food safety – back in 2012 the NMB was criticised for its weak response to the salmonella outbreak in Mexican Daniella mangoes. What measures have you implemented since then to tighten up food safety procedures?
BV: I believe that criticism was unfounded. The NMB is chartered only as a marketing or promotional initiative for fresh mangoes. As such, its responsibility is to disseminate the information that has been supplied by the official agencies overseeing an outbreak, and to tell the real story about what is known and what action is being taken. The NMB does have a crisis plan in place to enable it to respond swiftly to an outbreak, and this was done immediately and professionally.
First and foremost is our concern for the health of the consumer and the safety of our product. Additionally, there was a lot of behind-the-scenes management of the message, and a very timely response to any negatives coming from a variety of media, including numerous bloggers. Because of this, mango consumption dipped only slightly in the wake of the outbreak. Fairly soon thereafter, it was learned that the outbreak was not systemic but rather localised, validating the position that we took. The message that the industry is paying attention to food safety and following guidelines for good agricultural practices is an accurate one that helped to temper irrational statements.
Subsequently, and immediately at its next meeting, the board increased funding of food safety initiatives and internal efforts towards safety information sharing. In 2013, the NMB launched the first food safety conference specifically for the mango industry. In common with other marketing boards, we are making sure that all our members are on top of the new directives coming from the Food Safety Modernisation Act.
We are going beyond this and through our research budget we are funding programmes that help identify critical pathogen management points in the system in conjunction with related organisations from the exporting countries. Since each country has its own food safety programme in place, we are working to make sure that any and all information is shared.
Even though the NMB does not have a mandate, it encourages all parties to adopt the known best practices. I suspect that at least in part of the effort of the board and staff of the NMB, the mango industry is one of a number of fresh commodities where food safety is a top priority at all levels of the logistical chain.
Has the there been an increase in the use of irradiation to treat mango imports into the US?
BV: The use of irradiation to treat mangoes is a viable alternative to hot water treatment to meet the protocol for entry into the US. There is some resistance on the part of many buyers, however, as well as a number of logistical difficulties to overcome before the treatment becomes mainstream.
We’re not aware of any study comparing the quality of irradiated mangoes with those that have been treated with hot water. Each quarantine treatment has advantages and disadvantages.
So, it’s fair to say there is still resistance from American consumers when it comes to irradiation?
BV: Yes, and the degree of resistance depends a lot on what you call the treatment. Electronic pasteurisation is generally a more accepted term than irradiation, with all the connotations that word carries. Nevertheless, there is still a large segment of the population that is not concerned with the procedure and would happily accept irradiated mangoes provided the quality was there.
How do you see the US market for imported fruit evolving in the next five years? What will be the key growth drivers in your opinion?
BV: One of the key drivers for growth is the country’s expanding ethnic population. We also see increased demand by foodservice for unique and varied commodities that are being used to create innovative menus.
The use of mangoes in fresh-cut is also expanding as supplies become increasingly reliable in terms of quality and taste. As the retailers learn that they can count on consistency of supply and quality, we expect growth for the mango both as a tropical alternative, a paired commodity and a mainstream item to merchandise on its own.
The NMB is on track to both drive this retail demand and also help sell an increasing supply. We have a number of other programmes in place to help achieve this aim, such as to encourage retailers to put ripe fruit on display, and educate them on better handling techniques. New varieties are starting to emerge as well as some additional exporting countries allowed entry into the US. The next five years will be an exciting time for the mango industry.
What do you think other produce categories can learn from the NMB’s example?
BV: There are some outstanding fresh commodity marketing organisations in our industry, of which the NMB is one. I think there is much to be learned from each of them. The development of our market tracking, supply information postings and predictions will serve as a good model to merchandisers. We are using ideas from other boards, and some with learn from our successes.
