"By ripening our avocados and mangoes to perfection, we are building consumer trust in our products and driving demand for ripe produce," says Paul Frowde, Managing Director, Mission Produce Europe and UK, that is focused on the sourcing, ripening and marketing of avocados and mangos. "Shoppers want avocados and mangoes that are ripe and ready to eat, and Mission Produce is committed to getting that right."
Paul Frowde
Not always an easy task, concludes Paul. "Ripening avocados from various countries of origin, with differing levels of dry matter and other characteristics, takes trial and error. Fortunately, we have 40 years of produce experience in getting the ripeness right. Not many suppliers can ripen an avocado or mango with the expertise that Mission Produce can."
The demand for ripe fruits is one of the reasons Mission Produce still sees a significant growth potential for both avocados and mangoes in the European and UK markets. "Per capita consumption across Europe is only at a fraction of the consumption in the U.S., and we believe that we can drive consumption by offering avocados and mangoes that are ripe and ready to eat. While per capita consumption in the U.S. reached 4kg in the 2023-24 season, consumption in the UK and Europe reached only 1.7kg, with plenty of room to grow." Moreover, it is not only Europe that is growing. "International avocado trade volumes during the 2023-2024 season grew for the 14th consecutive year, nearing 2.8 million tonnes."
Vertical integration
One of Mission Produce's focal points when sourcing avocados and mangoes, is vertical integration. "Being vertically integrated is a key benefit in maintaining supply reliability in the event of any supply chain disruptions. By owning the product, we have greater control over the marketing of that product." Mission Produce is vertically integrated in Peru, Guatemala, Colombia with a leading grower partner, and South Africa through a joint venture."
This strategy helps Mission Produce to mitigate for instance unpredictable weather, that Paul calls an inevitable risk in the production of avocados and mangoes. "We have a diversified sourcing strategy in place to maintain supply reliability. If supply is tight in one region due to natural or other causes, we can leverage our well-connected global network of growers to source from other regions year-round."
Brazilian season
For mangoes current supply mainly comes from Brazil, Paul says. "We're in the middle of Brazilian mango season, which supplies high-quality Kent, Keitt, and Palmer varieties. Sizes are trending small, but the availability of larger sizes is expected to improve once Peru's mango season begins in late December. Mission Produce is vertically integrated in Peru with 300 hectares of Kent mangoes, and the quality is expected to be exceptional this upcoming season."
Avocado seasonality is currently in transition from the summer to winter sources, Paul mentions. "The size curve has been leaning on the small side, and demand has been strong on larger sizes. Following mid-November, the industry expects a smoother market with strong supplies from Colombia, Guatemala, The Dominican Republic, Chile, Israel, and Morocco."
Aligning with customer values
In its operations sustainability plays an important role for Mission Produce. "Sustainability is a core value of many of our customers, so it's important to communicate our commitment to sustainability as a strategic business partner that is aligned with the values of our customers."
That for instance takes the form of the Mission Produce R&D teams, who continue to explore opportunities to implement technologies and programs that are environmentally, socially, and economically impactful throughout the supply chain, Paul mentions.
But also packaging is a focus. "Sustainable packaging continues to rise as a solution to reducing the amount of plastic used in operations. In 2023, more than half of the film we purchased for use in production was made of reduced plastic. A focus on material reduction and the search for sustainable alternatives not only protects our planet's resources but can lead to improved loyalty and reputation with our customers."
Moving away from non destructive testing also contributes towards Mission Produce's sustainability goals, Paul adds. "In our state-of-the-art forward distribution center in the UK, we've newly implemented non-destructive testing technology as our primary method for testing avocado ripeness. By moving away from destructive testing, we are reducing food waste from our supply chain by a significant 66%!"
Mission Produce, Inc.
[email protected]
www.missionproduce.com