From the pages of TopInfo

As Brazil’s season ends and Ecuador’s also wrapping up, along with the expectation of lower production of Peruvian mangoes, these circumstances taken together allow us to predict competitive prices for the upcoming season of this tropical fruit.

The following facts allow us to be optimistic about the beginning of Peru’s mango season:

• The current Ecuadorian season was characterized by higher volumes towards the beginning, with lower volumes projected for the end which is January.
• The current prediction of mango shipments from Peru to the U.S. for the season is 15.5 million boxes, 20% of what was exported to the U.S. year-on-year.
• Mango volumes from Mexico will only start to pick up at the beginning of March. 
• During the last weeks of December, the total from Brazil, Ecuador and Peru was 25% lower than the same period of 2019.
• Estimated arrivals for January 2021 are substantially lower than those of last year at the same time.

Although demand during this time isn’t high, the low arrivals are already driving prices up to unusual numbers at a time when this normally wouldn’t happen (at least not in the last two seasons).

During the first week of January, both the last mangoes from Brazil and Ecuador, as the first from Peru, it was very common to see prices at US$ 6.50-7.00 per box for both Tommy Atkins and Kent varieties with sizes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. For size 12, higher prices were also seen at $6.00-6.50 per box.

Differences in prices from last year during the same time reach 25-30% or more in some cases.

Although Peruvian mango exports to the U.S. are expected to decline, the prices forecasted for January and much of February allow us to say that this season will be well remembered by Peruvian mango exporters.

Changes in Marketing

To all the above, it must be noted that the Covid-19 pandemic is causing shifts in marketing strategies, since face-to-face purchasing is changing due to online shopping becoming more popular.

Because of this, many campaigns are finding a greater presence within social media.

With mangoes in particular, which are indisputably an impulse purchase, these changes will be of vital importance to achieving sales goals.

Packaging is also changing as there is a certain reluctance from a part of the population to consume fruit that is not packaged.

This has been observed in citrus, apples, avocados and it is also expected to occur with mangoes. 

Currently, packs of mangoes are being developed, thus avoiding the contact of fruit with the hands of the different people involved in the supply chain.

Overall, January and February anticipate good prices for Peruvian mangoes.

Those exporters who adjust their packaging and participate actively in social media will surely get a boost with the added value of the fruit.