The supply of mangoes in Canada is still low. "It's about 40-50 percent of the usual crop," says Giorgio Ceciarelli of GC Imports.
Right now mangoes are coming from Mexico, which is finishing what he calls the 'second stage' of the season. That is production in the south of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacán. (Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Guerrero are where the 'first stage' of production takes place.) "The south of Sinaloa, Colima, and Jalisco have had rains and the tail ends of hurricanes which have damaged the fruit a bit," says Ceciarelli. Meanwhile last week, production began in Mexico's "free zone" which is in the north of Sinaloa, which means the U.S. can import those mangoes without treatment and is the final stage of the Mexican season.
Demand is down for mangos as well. "The pull and flow of mangoes is lower than other years," says Ceciarelli.
Higher mango prices
As for pricing, on Ataulfo mangoes, they have been stable but high (and higher than in other years) while pricing on red mangoes such as Kents, Tommys, and Haydens, which have had quality issues, have been low. "I believe it's going to get worse because the tail end of the second stage of these states that have had red mangoes have had rain and there will still be a problem with quality," says Ceciarelli. "I don't know what the quality will look like and how the market will behave in the next few weeks but I have the feeling that it's not going to be good."
Meanwhile, Ceciarelli says some new varieties of mangoes have been coming out of Mexico and Brazil. "Brazil has been constantly shipping small volumes of its specialized varieties," he says, adding that India has also been shipping product though at much higher prices. Colombia has also shipped mangoes as has Guatemala throughout May and June.
Looking ahead, Ceciarelli sees continued lower supply and higher demand–particularly as Canada competes with the U.S. for this lower supply–and prices going up, especially when the second stage of production is finished.
For more information:
Giorgio Ceciarelli
GC Imports
Tel: +1 (416) 649-5775
[email protected]
www.gcimports.ca