At the beginning of December, the first container with organic mangos from Peru arrived on the U.S. East Coast. "This year, the situation is opposite of last year," says Fernando Valle with TerraFresh Organics, who offers organic mangos for most of the year. "As opposed to last year, there is a lot more fruit on the trees, which should result in ample availability of fruit for the U.S. market." By mid-December, the first containers with organic mangos from Peru should arrive on the U.S. West Coast. From then on, weekly arrivals are expected on both coasts.
Demand has been strong, and it is expected to remain so throughout the season, despite the transition from Ecuador to Peru taking place now. Valle is hopeful demand will continue to be good as prices are back to more normal levels this season. Closer to the Christmas and New Year's holidays, the industry expects a bump in demand.
With a share of about five percent of total volume, organic mangos are a small portion of the total mango market. However, it is a growing category as U.S. retailers are increasingly asking for additional organic mangos. "Some of our customers are making the switch to offering organic mangos only, so the importance is increasing," Valle said. This growth is driven by the end consumers. "We've partnered with our growers to improve the quality of the fruit in our boxes and with us working together, we are starting to see the fruits of their labor," Valle commented.
Drought
Shipments from Peru are expected to continue through week 11, 2025, which is the end of March. "This will dovetail nicely with our Mexican grower groups, leading to a seamless supply throughout the spring and summer months." While the outlook for the season is positive for mangos, the lack of water is of great concern to many growers of any agricultural commodity in the Piura region in Northern Peru. "Due to the lack of rainfall, the reservoirs are in danger of low water supply. While production volumes and quality don't seem to be affected this year, the situation could be vastly different next year if the lack of rainfall continues."
For more information:
Fernando Valle
TerraFresh Organics
Tel: (+1) 480-270-0829
[email protected]
www.terrafreshorganics.com