US importers are reporting a strong market for Peruvian mangoes, with the quality of early season arrivals said to be excellent. Despite a slow start to the season due to water shortages and cool temperatures, the campaign is now in full swing and Ken Nabal of Kingston Fresh said sales remained brisk coming out of the holiday period and movement has been steady.
“Although our initial volumes from Peru were a little light, we augmented the programme with Kent mangoes from Ecuador to fully meet customer demand,” he said.
With Ecuadorean production now finished for the season, the company in ramping up imports from Peru which are set to run through to early March. “Our customers get excited when Peruvian Kents enter the market and we are expecting another great selling season. The overall quality of the first arrivals is very good and the eating quality of the fruit has been outstanding,” he said.
Kingston has been steadily building its imports division in recent years and is aggressively adding to its portfolio of branded products. CEO David O. Kingston said the company was expanding its footprint in Central and South America.
“Whether it’s our branded Sugar Pines from Costa Rica, mangoes from Peru or our newest programme, melons from Guatemala, rest assured that the Kingston brand will be prominently displayed along with its ‘Planting to Plate’ brand slogan,” he said. “We have kept this consistent on our packaging to emphasise oru company’s vertical integration and ongoing commitment to customer service, food safety and quality.”
