With a winning bid of A$13,000, Domenico Casagrande of fruit market Megafresh in the Brisbane suburbs of Carina and Chandler took home the coveted first tray of mangoes for the 2018 Australian season.
The Northern Territory-grown fruit from Skliros Produce hit the auction stand at around 7am on 4 October. Funds raised from the auction were donated to diabetes Queensland, and the MND & Me Foundation.
“This is the first year I’ve attended and placed a bid at the mango auction, but really wanted to go in with a plan and give it a good crack,” said Casagrande, who now wears the title of 2018 Mango King.
“After the amount of support we have seen from the community over the years at Megafresh, we really wanted to give back to the community at today’s auction. After all, the community are our customers,” he added.
“Mango season is one of our favourite times of the year. Everyone loves mangoes – it’s the hype of the shop all through summer.”
The Brisbane Produce Market Annual Charity Mango Auction has been in place since 2002, and raised just shy of A$1m, all of which is donated to charity.
Brisbane Markets Limited chairman, Tony Joseph, said that with combined fundraising a total of A$20,000 will be donated including Casagrande’s A$13,000 bid.
“Mango season is one of my favourite times of the year, and our annual mango auction is the perfect way to remind us that summer’s on the way,” Joseph said.
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