Trade meets to discuss key issues affecting the international mango business
Around 600 delegates gathered in the Mexican city of Guadalajara last month for the Fourth International Mango Congress, organised by Mexican mango export association Emex.
The event has become a meeting point for the international mango business, bringing together experts from countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, the United States, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Sustainability, new business opportunities, digitalisation, new technologies, varietal innovation, logistics, promotion, marketing and communication were among the topics discussed at the congress.
Ramón Ojeda, executive director of the US’s National Mango Board, moderated a session on the latest consumption trends, in which he revealed that mangoes are on their way to becoming one of the top ten whole fruits in value in the US market by 2030.
“More than 1.2bn lbs (550,000 tonnes) of mango are consumed in the US each year. This generates an FOB value of more than US$800mn a year,” he said, adding that “per capita consumption has risen from 1.9lbs in 2005 to 3.6lbs in 2023, placing it in 11th position of most consumed fruit in the country,” Ojeda said.
