Following a revelation from the Mango Association that mangoes are the natural equivalent of Viagra, retailers are anticipating a glut of sales of the tropical fruit.

The mango has been celebrated as a sex aid for centuries. The Kamasutra suggests lovers should drink mango juice before sex, and it is no coincidence that the mango is the Indian symbol of love. As a result, the UK's retailers are struggling to keep up with demand as the nation goes mango crazy, said Mark Moody, chairman of the Mango Association.

He said: 'Fortunately, with National Mango Week the supermarkets have ordered extra stocks of mangoes.

'So, whether consumers regularly buy mangoes as part of their weekly shop or have never tasted a mango in their life they should be able to get their hands on a mango.

'The mango producing countries of the world are hot and exotic and the people there are renowned for their passion for life, so it's hardly surprising that the mango should emerge as such a popular choice. Brazil, the Caribbean, Mexico, India, Southeast Asia and a host of other sources all supply the UK with mangoes.' The UK's largest mango importer Minor Weir & Willis Ltd has been supporting the fruit with in-store promotions and assorted other tie-ins. MWW's commercial director Sudhir Mehta told the Journal all about it.

He said: 'All of our supermarket customers are running promotions with in-store tastings, and some of the MWW people are doing radio interviews today [Tuesday].

'We've sent out mango recipes to the national press as well, there's no guarantee they'll get used, but hopefully they will.

'We're trying to link the mango into – and familiarise it with peaches. We're saying that whatever you can do with a peach you can also do with a mango.

'We expect to sell close to 40,000 boxes of mangoes during this week alone, and that's about 400,000 units.' Tesco also got right behind the promotions, with tastings in selected stores across the UK, organised in conjunction with supplier Wealmoor.

Support for mangoes will not stop with the end of National Mango Week. Promotions will continue throughout September, as MWW's new season supplies come over from Brazil very soon.