The Peruvian mango industry believes next season could see the nation's first shipments to South Korea, news website Agraria.pe reported. 

A delegation from the Asian country's Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (QIA) are due to visit Peru during the first week of February to verify industry phytosanitary protocols for the export of fresh mangoes, the story said.

The Peruvian Mango Exporters' Association (APEM) general manager Juan Carlos Rivera said it would be difficult to send any shipments to Korea this season - which ends in March - but the prospects were good for the 2015/16 season beginning in November.

"To this market we expect to export the same volumes that we ship to Japan, which is 600 to 1000 metric tons per season," Rivera was quoted as saying.

Another market development could also be on the cards, as officials from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are set to make a visit to Peru in the third week of February.

Peru is currently permitted to export fresh mangoes to the U.S., but only for fruit weighing up to 650 grams.

Rivera said while he did not know exactly what would be discussed with the visiting delegation, he hoped it would cover the possibility of allowing large-sized fruit for export to the U.S, Agraria.pe reported.

Photo: www.shuttestock.com

www.freshfruitportal.com