In this installment of the ‘Agronometrics In Charts’ series, Sarah Ilyas studies the state of the Mexican mango season. Each week the series looks at a different horticultural commodity, focusing on a specific origin or topic visualizing the market factors that are driving change.

The advent of mangoes in Mexico can be traced back to the 16th century. The favorable climate of Mexico created optimal conditions for the cultivation of mangoes, resulting in their sustained growth and proliferation. As the years passed, Mexico emerged as a prominent hub for the production and exportation of mangoes, boasting an extensive array of diverse varieties that have seamlessly integrated into the fabric of Mexican cuisine.

The National Mango Board (NMB) forecasts a nearly 3% rise in weekly mango imports to the United States (US), primarily driven by robust supplies from Mexico. Mexican mangoes dominate the U.S. market from February through September, with Brazil's imports starting in August and other countries like Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti, Australia, Jamaica, and Colombia contributing to year-round availability.

The Mexican mango season kicked off in the first week of January and will run until the first week of October with a projection of approximately 95 million boxes. In the preceding season, prominent varieties included Tommy Atkins (34%), Ataulfo/Honey (27%), Kent (25%), Keitt (11%), and Others (3%).

Mexico holds the pivotal role of being the primary supplier of mangoes to the United States this time of the year. Presently, the country's latest cultivation region, Los Mochis, is actively engaged in harvesting activities. “Overall, the Mexican mango season has been good in terms of supply and quality,” says Albert Perez of Continental Fresh. This season saw volumes culminating at 17.9 K tonnes in week 18, 2.8% higher than the peak volume recorded in 2022.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.

(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Although recent trends have reflected reasonable stability in mango prices, July did not witness very high demand. “Increased heat in the growing areas brought us some challenges in terms of volumes and condition. However, the situation seems to be improving as we are headed into August with beautiful and large Keitt varieties beginning to flourish from Mexico’s last growing area, Los Mochis,” Perez mentioned.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.

(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

The offshore product from Brazil is at least two weeks behind schedule, resulting in the postponement of promotional supplies until the latter half of September. Initial reports from Brazil indicate a slight decline in mango production. In addition to Brazil, Ecuador and Peru play significant roles as mango suppliers to the United States during the final quarter of the year.

Regarding fourth-quarter production, Perez emphasizes, "While a more comprehensive evaluation awaits additional data, it is imperative to acknowledge the current El Nino conditions. Preliminary insights emerging from Ecuador and Peru indicate a potential notable reduction in volumes attributed to climatic influences on flowering and fruit yield," he adds.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.

(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

The General Director of EMEX (Association of Producers - Exporters of Mangoes from Mexico), Myrna Castro underscores that the establishment of the "MANGO EMEX" quality seal is an ongoing endeavor, involving meticulous planning and implementation. She emphasizes that this undertaking is a long-term commitment rather than an instantaneous achievement.

Intensive efforts are being directed towards integrating the requisite quality systems within each facet of the operational framework, with the ultimate aim of launching this brand. “We have a lot of work to do, times are changing and new business opportunities are required. We are going to continue innovating our production processes, because we must mechanize the field, and thus be more competitive,” she added.

In our ‘In Charts’ series, we work to tell some of the stories that are moving the industry. Feel free to take a look at the other articles by clicking here.

All pricing for domestic US produce represents the spot market at Shipping Point (i.e. packing house/climate controlled warehouse, etc.). For imported fruit, the pricing data represents the spot market at Port of Entry.

You can keep track of the markets daily through Agronometrics, a data visualization tool built to help the industry make sense of the huge amounts of data that professionals need to access to make informed decisions. If you found the information and the charts from this article useful, feel free to visit us at www.agronometrics.com where you can easily access these same graphs, or explore the other 21 commodities we currently track.