Peru could be permitted to export larger sized mangoes to the US by the time the new season gets underway in November.
Juan Carlos Rivera, general manager of grower-exporter association Apem explained that at present only mangoes up to 650g can be shipped to the US but a request has been submitted to the USDA to widen the protocol to include fruit up to 900g in size.
This follows studies that show hot water treatment to be effective in eliminating the risk of fruit fly larvae infestation. A 60-day public consultation period is currently open, after which Aphis will pass the new regulations if it receives no comments.
The US is Peru’s second biggest market, absorbing just over a third of the country’s total export volume, which reached a record 140,000 tonnes in 2013/14. “In spite of the high volumes we saw pretty good prices thanks to the excellent quality of the crop,” Rivera says. “This was partly because of the excellent bloom we had in the winter of 2013 and also thanks to the care taken by growers and exporters during harvesting and packing.”
Rivera also credits the “excellent work” being done by the National Mango Board in the US to boost consumption.
As mangoes are an alternate bearing crop, he says last season’s bumper harvest is unlikely to be repeated in 2014/15. Nevertheless he is hopeful that the industry will be able to maintain the export momentum it has built up during the past year. Rivera notes that demand is growing rapidly in the fresh-cut and ready-to-eat category – a relatively new niche that Peru is keen to explore further.
Together with the National Mango Board, Apem is working on a manual for growers to ensure that quality is maintained during harvesting and post-harvest. It is due to be presented at the International Mango Congress on 6-7 November 2014.
“The challenge we face going forward is to ensure we achieve consistency in our exports –that we can supply adequate volumes of high quality fruit to meet consumer demand throughout the season,” Rivera says.
