Australia’s mango crop is set to be well down on last year after a poor growing season in the country’s Northern Territory, the ABC reports.
According to an estimate released by the Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA), the national crop should come to approximately 6.5m trays, down 1m trays from last season.
Gavin Scurr, the AMIA chairman, has said that despite the issues in the Northern Territory, Queensland and areas of Western Australia can expect a good harvest.
'Queensland and Western Australia are probably similar to last year, so the drop in production at this stage is all in the Northern Territory,' he said. 'The Territory is looking at producing maybe half of what it did last year, which is obviously disappointing for those growers.'
The Northern Territory has long been anticipated for a reduced crop given a poor wet season and hotter than average dry season.
However, this has been exacerbated by major fruit drops in the Katherine growing region that has resulted in some farms losing almost all of their produce.
Scurr has stated that the reduced yields will inevitably result in price rises.
'The high price is going to continue for longer than it normally would because of the lack of supply,” he told the ABC. 'They'll be a bit more expensive than normal, through until the crop gets going in Queensland which is well into November.”
Scurr urged consumers not to wait to purchase mangos as he feels their quality is well worth the higher price tag.
“They're still a very good valued piece of fruit and even at A$4 (US$3.76) or A$5 (US$4.70) the quality is fantastic, there's plenty of flesh on them. You'd pay that for a hamburger and I know which one I'd rather eat.'
