The mango season in N. Sinaloa, MX is gradually coming to an end, signifying the start of the region's very latest variety: Keitt. This variety is grown in Los Mochis, in Northern Sinaloa. "Keitts are the last mangos on the trees in Mexico and are a variety known to be bigger in size," says Cindy Schwing with Splendid by Porvenir. They are available for just about six weeks of the year. "We started shipping them at the end of week 34, which was last week," she said. They are expected to be offered in stores until the end of September, possibly even early October, highly dependent upon weather.
To emphasize how unique this mango variety is, Splendid branded the variety as Keitt Kong last year. "Keitt Kong is a brand that's exclusive to Splendid, holding a selection of the largest mangos available on the market," Schwing said. The name is a nod to King Kong as the variety is the king of mangos. In addition to its size, Splendid's Keitt Kong mangos have the benefit of being grown in a Fly Free Fruit zone, eliminating the need for a hot water treatment.
Keitt mangos extend the Mexican mango season, offering retailers the opportunity to continue sourcing from Mexico for a couple more weeks before transitioning to the offshore season.
Cindy Schwing visiting a Keitt mango orchard.
Demand off the charts
This season, supply of Keitt Kongs is plentiful and very similar to past seasons. "We have a lot of programs in place and are very excited about the next few weeks as fruit is looking good, and quality is solid." Demand on the other hand is not just solid, it's off the charts. "It's amazing how the Keitt Kong label has taken off and everyone is asking for them," Schwing shared. "It is a very exciting marketing campaign for us as people love big fruit." Keitt Kong mangos range in size between 4 and 12 and that's what's most impressive about the variety. This season, sizes 4/5/6s are most predominant.
Keitt Kong mangos.
For this year, Splendid by Porvenir has developed a new campaign that is geared towards kids. "We get kids excited for Keitt Kong mangos by giving them a chance to create their own gorilla characters through a new landing page and share the results on social media." Looking for Keitt Kong mangos in store? They can be differentiated by a red PLU sticker on the mango that says Keitt Kong. The variety will be available throughout the U.S. in select retail chains as well as at wholesale markets.
Keitt Kong mangos.
For more information:
Cindy Schwing
Splendid by Porvenir LLC
Tel: (+1) 956-793-6493
[email protected]
https://splendidbyporvenir.com/keittkong/#mono