Mango exports generate between 35 and 40 million dollars per season (between October and January). This product is highly appreciated by the international market, especially in the United States, which buys 91% of Ecuador's supply.
The VI International Congress of Ecuadorian Mango, which will be attended by some 400 people, including producers, exporters, and buyers, is starting today, September 1, in Guayaquil.
Johnny Jara, executive director of the Ecuador's Mango Foundation, said the Congress would last until Saturday and that one of its goals was to train producers. Ecuador has 5,300 hectares dedicated to the production of mango for export and, according to estimates, some 3,000 hectares for domestic consumption.
"We have to train Ecuadorian producers. We will address different issues, such as diseases, irrigation, harvesting, post-harvest, and climate change, among others," Jara said. According to the businessman, this year's mango harvest will begin on the third week of September and will be sold in October.
The US and Europe are the main destinations of the mango. Jara said that to be able to sell the mango to these destinations they used various phytosanitary systems, such as the Fruit Fly Monitoring Program. He also stated that Ecuadorian producers were very interested in the Asian market and that the Chinese market was going to consume the Ecuadorian fruit for the first time. Jara confirmed that the first export test to China would be carried out this year.
Source: metroecuador.com.ec