The government watchdog group Judicial Watch reported this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains a National Mango Board that operates on a $6.7 million budget to increase the consumption of fresh mangoes in the United States. Judicial Watch commented that a mango consumption increase is unlikely to be a pressing issue for most Americans.
Judicial Watch goes on to discuss that first handlers and importers of 500,000 pounds of fresh mangoes each year pay a fee to fund the Board, a cost that is collected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection. The Board has 18 members, including eight importers, two domestic producers, one first handler and seven foreign producers. The vision of the Board is to bring the world’s love of mangoes to the US.
The National Mango Board has commented on the report by saying that it is funded solely by the mango industry and does not spend a single dime of taxpayer dollars. “While we work in close collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Marketing Service, the National Mango Board’s main purpose is to provide support to farmers and retailers by promoting this fruit,” said Manuel Michel, Executive Director at the National Mango Board. “Our organization uses its own resources and reimburses the government for any time and money they spend in working with us.”
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