Production down 30 per cent following weather-related disruption to flowering
Colombian mango exporters are struggling to source enough fruit following a 30 per cent drop in production. Industry body Fedemango said the shortage is due to adverse climatic conditions disrupting tree flowering earlier this year.
Fedemango noted that the resulting higher prices may not be enough to offset the lower harvest, particularly on farms where the crop has fallen far short of projections.
Availability should increase during the final quarter of the year, with some regions expecting new harvests in November and December. However, Fedemango said the behaviour some trees was exhibiting has raised doubts as to their recovery.
Initial industry estimates suggest exports could fall by around 15 per cent year-on-year, though the final outcome will depend on actual shipments and pending harvests. Lower production makes it difficult to maintain the consistent commercial volumes needed to fulfil export programmes.
Colombia has around 41,000ha of mango production. The country aims to reach a production volume of 600,000 tonnes by 2030.
