It may come as a surprise to those who are less than adventurous when it comes to produce, but according to importer Minor Weir & Willis, mangoes rank third after pineapples and coconuts in terms of worldwide fruit consumption.
In the UK, in particular, mango popularity is scaling new heights with penetration at 18 per cent, up from 10 per cent in 2000. And it is largely thanks to the concerted efforts of all those involved in the trade that the UK can now boast yearly import figures of more than 16 million tonnes of mangoes ñ double the volume imported in 2000.
With Mango Week just around the corner, promotional plans are well underway, and in anticipation of these activities retail shelves are stocked with a vast range of fruit ñ from unconditioned to ripe and ready to eat varieties ñ all of which fuel further growth and increase the knowledge of mango consumers.
There is, says Minor, Weir & Willis, a growing market for speciality produce such as connoisseur varieties of mango with superior eating and aesthetic qualities. These include Nam Dok Mai (Thailand), Sugar mango (Colombia and Kenya) Shelley (Israel), Alphonso (India) Chausa (Pakistan) and Ataulfo (Mexico).
Chris Abram, fruit category manager at Minor, Weir & Willis explains: “We are seeing substantial growth in the areas of seasonality and specialist varieties. It is our view that with penetration growing rapidly, the core of regular mango buyers and eaters are now ready to trade up to varieties specially grown for their flavour, and frequently only available via air-freight. We have had great success with Australian Pearl and Kensington Pride, Caribbean Julie, South African Heidi, and Israeli Maya and Shelley.”
The sheer range of mangoes now stocked by retailers is indicative of this trend towards speciality produce and retailers are still increasing their offer. Craig Sibbit, category buyer for melons and exotic fruit at Sainsbury's, says: “We have tried to give some real clarity to our mango range this year, identifying each line to a particular need.
“We have introduced an extra large mango which has a great visual appeal and a good flesh to skin and stone proportion. It was the first of our mangoes to use a liner to protect and improve presentation.
“Another addition has been the juicy ripe mango. This is sold fully ripe and ready ñ full of juice and ideal for a last minute purchase and same day eat. Because fruit in this state is delicate it is sold in a protective punnet. We also have developed our seasonal speciality mango line, which incorporates the best mango varieties from Israel, Australia and India among others. The new packaging and label contains detailed varietal and seasonal calendar information to educate customers of the merits of the specialist varieties.”
Ultimately, says Sibbit, these lines represent the opportunity to trade up “which is vital as the regularity of promotions on the main lines is bringing some deflation”.
Sainsbury's isn't alone in increasing its mango offer. Senior produce buyer at Budgens Alan Peberdy says: “At the start of 2003 we launched an ëair-freighted freshly prepared mango pack' across a number of our larger and London-based stores. This line comes fully prepared and packaged in 200g pots ñ easily identifiable as a product for immediate consumption and sold alongside other prepared chilled fruits.
“Until this year, we offered mango in two formats; a loose, mature but firm' fruit (weighing approx 450-500g) ñ and a ëripe & ready to eat' twin pack of mangoes (weighing approx 600g). Fruit in the ëripe and ready' format has been pre-ripened by our suppliers and has a maximum in-store shelf life of four days. They are extremely popular with customers who find it difficult to tell if a mango is ripe enough to eat or not. The loose line is aimed at customers who wish to ripen at home.
“This latest line [the air-freighted freshly prepared mango pack] was introduced in response to customers who increasingly want fresh products that are ready to eat on the day of purchase, rather than having to take the product home to ripen in the coming days. This line is currently under a brand but we plan to roll it out under Budgens own label offer in the autumn.”
“Mangoes are firmly inside the top 10 of fruits sold by value share and one of the fastest growing,” says Wealmoor's multiple sector manager, Mark Horton. “For this reason although there has been a need to tidy up some of the range segmentation, retailers have been receptive to strong innovation of lines and formats. For instance, within the last few months better designed boxes with a liner which displays and supports fruits have been adopted. This is merchandising fruit ñ a long way from the odd-sized boxes, closed lids and surrounding paper tissue paper of a few years ago.”
That the mango range has expanded so dramatically in recent years is good news for retailers, but at the other end of the chain, suppliers are working hard to expand their offer. As the Israeli season begins, Agrexco is maintaining its supplies of conventional produce, while tree-ripened fruit in the form of Maya and Shelley makes up Agrexco's premium lines.
Product manager Yinon Osem explains the characteristics that keep Maya and Shelley at the top of the tree when it comes to quality. Maya is non-fibrous and has a strong mango taste, whereas Shelley has a fruitier taste with sizes that run from 6-16 as opposed to Maya's 12-16 range. “Maya is a very sensitive fruit which ripens quickly and can only be ripened on the tree,” Osem says, adding that Maya, although of premium quality, is also difficult to deal with because of its sensitivity. An anticipated 50 tonnes will go to the UK this season, and there is significant room for growth in this market. “Large quantities are already sold in France but in the UK the price goes against Maya, in France, the price is not a problem,” says Osem.
Shelley, on the other hand, is an easier fruit to deal with and has a longer shelf-life. “These characteristics make it popular with the supermarkets, but it has distinctive taste characteristics as well. Those who like a lighter, more delicate taste prefer the Shelley and the exterior qualities are very good too because it has a deeper colour.”
Israel has enjoyed much success with its mangoes, and, says Abram, in the ever-increasing mango portfolio, there is also acceptance of the superiority of some Indian and Pakistani varieties, such as Alphonso and Chausa. Indian mangoes have increasingly found favour on the UK shelves and Kay Bee Exports supplies to Tesco, Sainsbury's and Selfridges. Proprietor Prakash Khakhar has noticed a growing trend towards Alphonso. “The season has been very good from a climatic point of view,” he adds, ”and production is certainly on the increase.”
One of the main UK sources for mangoes is Puerto Rico and Martex Farms accounts for roughly 75 per cent of the total mango exports from this country. The UK represents 50 per cent of Martex Farms' total exports with the rest sold to destinations such as Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and US.
Martex Farms mango production relies on a low-density planting scheme of more than 100,000 trees. The farm grows mostly Keitt (about 80 per cent) with additional orchards of Tommy Atkins and Parvin.
In 2001 Martex Farms became the first grower in Puerto Rico and, it believes, the first mango farm in the world to attain EurepGAP certification. It is currently working towards obtaining Tesco's Nature's Choice-International Code of Practice for Fresh Produce by the end of this summer and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) standard by 2004.
And Martex Farms believes that the key to sustaining growth in the sector and confidence among buyers is to continue investing in those sources that promise good agronomic practice as well as enforcing environmental and social welfare policies that result in quality premium fruit, as well as trustful and solid relationships among distributors and retailers.
Martex Farms is not alone in this belief. In the UK, Fairtrade mangoes are proving popular in a range of stores including the Co-op, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.
AgroFair is the world's only importer of Fairtrade and organic-Fairtrade mangoes and currently imports Oké Fairtrade mangoes from Ecuador, Mexico and Burkina Faso to give supplies for six months of the year. AgroFair also works with mango farmers in Peru and Ghana to help build a year-round supply.
AgroFair UK's director Duncan White says: “The Fairtrade system guarantees a good quality product and a fair deal all the way along the supply chain from the farmer to the ripener, to the retailer to the consumer. Retailers are becoming increasingly aware that UK consumers are excited about the idea of ethical trading. You only need to see how fast Fairtrade sales are rising to see that consumers here want to make a positive change in the world just by going shopping and that's exactly what they can do by buying Fairtrade.”
As the consumption of mangoes increases, from a supply point of view all looks well from countries across the globe. Brazil's 2003 mango harvest is forecast at 10 ñ 20 per cent higher than last year, while Israel produce has enjoyed ideal climatic conditions. “We're looking at a good season this year because we've had ideal weather,” says Osem. “It was cold in the winter with a lot of rain and overall we've had a warm season with no extremes of heat. The fruit looks very clean from what we've seen of the first arrivals into the UK.”
The majority of Israel's mangoes are grown in the north of the country near the sea of Galilee ñ providing what Osem describes as “the best growing conditions in the world. The Israeli mango is much appreciated in the UK due to its internal and external quality. Eating-wise is has just a short journey into Europe. Israeli mangoes are picked when mature and the product arrives in a very good condition,” he says.
In Puerto Rico Martex Farms has enjoyed an early year. Exports started two months before normal, with the first fruit arriving in the UK in January. This allowed Martex Farms to enter the market before the traditionally competitive summer fruits period got underway.
Ever conscious of the need to increase consumption, Martex Farms works with distributors, Minor Weir & Willis and Utopia, as well as with retailers in order to continue creating awareness and educating consumers about mangoes. A ëMango from Puerto Rico' promotional campaign has been running throughout the season, aimed at boosting mango consumption and increasing market penetration in the UK. The campaign raises awareness of the Keitt variety and Puerto Rican origin in particular but, Martex Farms believes, will benefit the mango sector as a whole.
In the UK, The Mango Association, an assembly of mango growers, marketing co-operatives, importers and distributors, has now confirmed that the third National Mango Week will be held from September 8-14 2003. The week will focus on the foodservice sector, encouraging chefs in pubs, restaurants and hotels to use mangoes on their menus. “The forthcoming mango week will focus will time nicely with the arrivals of good volumes Israeli Keitt, which is among the best and most consistent mangoes,” says Horton. “This year focus has moved to foodservice campaign ñ which drives another market sector and will filter through into retail demand in the long term there will also be various activities with retailers directly.”
It's not just promotional bodies that are working to increase consumption. Says Abram: “Supermarkets are also making great efforts to tell the customer more about the fruit and its uses, with some interesting developments at M&S and Sainsbury's with booklet labels, and at Tesco with box “talkers”.
Sainsbury's Sibbit explains: “The issues with customer education and perception are still ongoing but we are making big strides with examples such as the booklet labels. JS is striving to increase awareness for potential customers. For mango week we have included a voucher for a half-price mango in pre pack bananas to try and drive new customers and penetration.
“Another major step change was the mango label re-launch with the booklet style fold-out labels. These are a superb way to try and educate customers about storage and preparation instructions for mangoes as well as inspiring them with recipe ideas.
“By getting the basics right we have driven the mango category - the format and product is the key. We have seen customer complaints about mangos fall by 31 per cent year on year, the quality strides we have made has built up a strong loyal customer base.
“Most mango promotions work well but Sainsbury's uses them tactically to achieve different aims. Half-price is a strong message, which drives penetration and trial - hopefully encouraging new customers. Multi-buys such as two for £2 help drive mango consumption and customers get more familiar with eating and cooking with mangoes. At various times we use Nectar as a means of rewarding our loyal mango customers.
Budgens is currently running a two-week in-store promotion on the air-freighted prepared mango, offering 33 per cent extra free (266g for £1.99). “In the time that this promotion has been running,” says Peberdy, “we have seen an increase of over 100 per cent, taking sales to more than 200 cases a week. In addition, we are planning to run a price promotion on the loose mango to take place after the August bank holiday. As previous offers have shown, we expect to increase sales to 400 cases a week during the course of the promotion.
Peberdy believes that the main barrier to purchase is the customer's perception of mangoes. “It is well known that mangoes are difficult to prepare and there is often confusion over when they are ripe enough to eat,” he says. “This is why we have seen such a high uptake on lines that make it easier for customers. With the fully prepared product for example, customers know that they will be able to eat the product on the same day they buy it, and in a very consumer friendly format - it takes away much of the guesswork (and all of the hassle) previously associated with mango preparation.”
As with all expanding sectors, behind the scenes, development continues. Martex Farms is aiming to develop new niches and to offer varieties to be sold as premium eating mangoes. Next season it will trial tree-ripened Palmer, to be air freighted into the UK. Agrexco is looking to offer more conventional Shelley and to work on varieties to replace Tommy Atkins.
But logistical and handling operations must also be improved, especially for airfreight varieties. “Mango importers have had to improve handling and ripening techniques on the more common varieties to improve flavour for consumers,” says Abram. “Supermarkets are also trying to sell a more ripe product to improve acceptance for the first time buyer. It is also essential that importers have an intimate knowledge of, and strong relationship with, the very best growers to source product which has more colour and a better flavour all round.”
Overall, the present is bright for mangoes and in the future, consumption looks set to soar. “Purchase levels of mangoes are growing each year and there are currently two major factors driving that. The retailers have undoubtedly got behind the mango sector and the fact that all the major suppliers of mangoes in the UK have invested in an association dedicated to the marketing of mangoes has encouraged them to do so,” says Mark Moody, chairman of The Mango Association. “The Mango Association is dedicated to educating consumers about the versatility of mango and has campaigned to increase awareness of the fruit for the past eighteen months.
“The Association will continue to work with trade partners and retailers to cultivate the continuing positive demand for mangoes. By investing in initiatives such as National Mango Week, we hope to achieve overall market growth and cement a firm trading platform going forwards.”
As Abram points out - there is enormous long-term growth potential for a market where fewer than one in five people buy mangoes.
EL JARDIN EN LA FRONTERA, ECUADOR
The El Jardin en la Frontera (EJELF) mango farm in El Oro, Ecuador, was established in 1992. It is in a remote region of Ecuador near the Peruvian border where unemployment is extremely high and the benefits of the Fairtrade system are therefore of great significance to the local population. At the end of 2001 it became the first mango farm in the world to be awarded Fairtrade certification. It covers 150 hectares and produces mangoes of the Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt varieties from November to February.
Unlike many workers in Ecuador, employees at El Jardin en la Frontera now receive at least the national minimum wage. With benefits such as sick pay and holiday pay taken into account, this amounts to more than double what many of the workers were paid before the farm was part of the Fairtrade system.
All workers are now registered in the state social security system, again something which many Ecuadorian workers do not benefit from. This guarantees their entitlement to benefits such as maternity leave, sick pay and pensions.
Fairtrade requirements stipulate that workers must have the right to freedom of association. The plantation employees are being trained to represent themselves in negotiations on pay, working conditions and use of the Fairtrade premium.
Workers now receive better training on the handling, storage and disposal of necessary agrochemicals and are provided with adequate protective clothing. Use of agrochemicals has been reduced, improving safety for both workers and consumers and leading to greater biodiversity. The farm is in the process of converting to organic production.
EJELF produces 250 tonnes of mangoes of which 120t are exported to AgroFair under the Fairtrade system. It's estimated that 10 per cent of these come to the UK. Climatic conditions led to reduced volumes being supplied from the region at the beginning of this year. It is expected that volumes will be up again next year.
UNION FRUITIéRE ET MARAîCHèRE DU BURKINA, BURKINA FASO
From April to July, AgroFair's Fairtrade mangoes come from the Union Frutière et Maraîchère du Burkina (UFMB) in Burkina Faso. UFMB, which was formed in 1996, unites hundreds of families in nine farming groups. The co-operative produces the Amelie, Kent and Keitt varieities for export and its mangoes are organic as well as Fairtrade certified. Fairtrade has helped the farmers to gain access to the export market and so earn better prices for their fruit in what is one of the world's poorest countries.
Burkina Faso is in the heart of West Africa and the climate in the south west of the country is ideally suited for the cultivation of mangoes. Unfortunately local sales are limited and transport is problematic.
One of the UFMB farming groups is situated in Dogona, a small village less than 10 kilometres out of the regional capital Bobo-Dioulasso. The Dogona farming group consists of 61 members, and is called Ben Kadi, which means ëgood co-operation'. The president of Ben Kadi is seventy-year-old Bakary Konaté.
He says, “No pesticides or fertilisers have been used since I started planting mango trees 30 years back.
“Before I joined UFMB, a large part of my mangoes used to rot away in the fields. The local market is too small, the prices were bad and we could not eat them all.
“Last year, I sold my mangoes through UFMB for the first time. The price they pay is much better than the price paid by the wholesale buyers.
“I have bought corrugated iron with the money earned from my mangoes. I was able to have my newborn son baptised.” (The christening ceremony is an important ceremony in Burkina Faso: the child is introduced to the village community and is given a name.) “I have also been able to buy sufficient grain to feed my family,” he adds.
UFMB has a total production of 1,200 tonnes of mangoes of which 140t are exported to AgroFair under the Fairtrade system. It is estimated that 10 per cent of these come to the UK. The traditional supply line through Cote d'Ivoire has been blocked due to the current civil war. Alternative supply via Ghana's Tema port has now been successfully implemented and supply of good quality organic-Fairtade Kent and Keitt fruit has been well received by UK customers.
FRUTICULTORES UNIDOS DEL SUR DE SINALOA, MEXICO
The Fruticultores Unidos del Sur de Sinaloa (Frussi) cooperative in Sinaloa, Mexico, supplies AgroFair with Fairtrade mangoes from July to September.
The cooperative is made up of 165 mango farmers who own a total of 980 hectares of mango farms. It exports the Tommy Atkins, Kent and Keitt varieties. Fairtrade has helped the farmers gain access to the export market and so earn better prices for their fruit. Recently the farmers helped to fund and build a modern packing station that has given them more independence.
Frussi is a co-operative founded in 1996 as a result of the economic crisis in Mexico. With the support of the Mexican government the local farmers were able to work together to create a professional operation that could focus on export.
AgroFair helps the farmers to access the European market, which is of great significance as as it reduces their dependence on American trade. With the help of AgroFair Frussi is also exploring organic production.
Frussi has a total production of 3,000 tonnes of which 140t are exported to AgroFair under the Fairtrade system. It's estimated that 10 per cent of these come to the UK. Mango production at Frussi is reportedly running well and its fruit well-received.
No comments yet