Ecuador is on course to produce a shorter mango crop this year following cooler weather and a lack of sun hours in the South American country’s mango-growing regions, according to a report by local publication El Universo.
If conditions do not improve, production is forecast to fall by around 10 per cent this season, the report said, compared with 10m cartons in 2009.
Bernardo Malo, president of the Ecuadorean Mango Foundation, told El Universo that volume this year could reach around 9m cartons.
According to Mr Malo, some fruit is likely to suffer from bacteria and fungus which cause mangoes to dry and fall before they are mature.
Grower group La Manga has 7,000 mango trees in production, of which only 70 per cent have reportedly flowered this season.
The industry is also concerned that the cold weather could delay the start of the season, which usually gets underway in October.
As a result, Ecuadorean mangoes could meet direct competition from Peru on the US market, with the resulting increase in offer set to cause prices to fall.
Currently, Ecuador exports 70 per cent of its mango crop to the US. The remaining 30 per cent is divided between Europe and Latin America.
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