Peru's mango season is now reaching its halfway point. So far, it has been a difficult campaign due to the impact of drought, the increase in competition from other origins, the lack of logistical resources and cardboard for packaging, and the lower prices. Production is now moving to the Casma area and there is uncertainty as to how the second part of the season will start given the high price speculation at the source.
"Although the 2024-2025 Peruvian mango season was initially expected to be one of recovery for the sector after the previous campaign - in which production fell by around 80% - the truth is that it has been a nightmare," says the importer and exporter Taoufik Azemmat, or Tao, as everyone in the sector calls him, manager of the Malaga-based company Mosaic Fruits.
"Drought has had a considerable impact on the production, and the fact that harvests started earlier already posed a challenge, as due to the lack of fruit last year, Peruvian mangoes lost market share to Brazil, which has been a much tougher competitor," says the importer.
"Besides, many small exporters from Peru and small importers from Europe have played an important role in causing prices to fall and not reaching the averages of other years," says Tao.
At the moment, the mango season in Peru, already at its halfway point, is shifting towards the Casma growing area, although, according to the importer, "it doesn't look like there is going to be an improvement in the situation. In fact, there are exporters who have already given up on the campaign," he says. "Moreover, there is currently a lot of speculation in the field, so there's plenty of uncertainty about how things are going to be at the start of this second part of the season."
In the full growth process, Mosaic Fruits moved to its new headquarters in Malaga in 2024, obtaining an IFS Broker certification and becoming certified to import and sell organic produce. The firm has launched its MÖ brand, used together with its MOSAIC brand for the marketing of Spanish fruit and vegetables, as well as off-season products.
"Mango is the product we are best known for as a company. We sell it all year round, sourcing it from various origins, mainly Peru, Mexico, and Spain," says Tao. "At the moment, in addition to Peruvian Kent mango imported from Peru by plane, we are getting ready for the Mexican mango campaign, which will start in May and which we will be planning together with Mexican growers and exporters during our visit to Fruit Logistica in Berlin. For the time being, the season is expected to be good in terms of both production and quality."
Although Spanish companies based in Malaga are often associated with subtropical fruit, Tao says they are working on and making progress in the diversification and marketing of other products. "We offer mango, avocado, and pineapple all year round, and we also work with other fruits and vegetables, both in summer and winter, at times when it is not possible to produce in Spain. At the moment we are working, for example, with the first Williams pears from Argentina, Cantaloupe melons from Africa, Spanish citrus fruits, and table grapes from Peru and some African countries. When the Spanish citrus season is over, we will continue with productions from overseas to ensure continuity in the supply."
For more information:
Taoufik Azemmat Alami
Mosaic Fruits SL
C/ Gertrudis De Avellaneda, 28
Top Digital Building
29196 Malaga, Spain
Tel.: +34 610 69 96 96
Tel.: +34 952 37 70 27
info@mosaicfruits.com