The two-tonne consignment was shipped by Yucatán grower Huertas Magaña
Mexico has carried out its first exports of mamey sapote to the UK. A consignment of two tonnes of the fruit produced by Huertas Magaña in the southern Yucatán was shipped to the UK recently.
Mamey sapote is a tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America, known for its creamy, sweet and vibrant orange-red flesh. It is mainly grown in the state of Yucatán.
Julio Magaña, marketing manager at Huertas Magaña, said negotiations to secure phytosanitary access to the UK market took two years. He hopes the shipment will pave the way for other producers to consider the export market.
“It’s quite a complicated job. Part of it is getting there, which we’ve managed to do so far, but now we need to start positioning this product, which isn’t very common, not a staple among fruits and vegetables,” he told Mexican newspaper La Jornada Maya.
“The first shipment is a sample because what we do is validate all the export protocols and manuals, ensuring the documentation is correct, that it clears customs properly, that it’s stored correctly, the inspections – all of that.
“What we do is verify that the process is correct, and then, once it reaches its destination, it also has to pass customer validation. The customer has to receive the fruit, wait for it to ripen, perhaps occasionally hold tastings, sell it, offer it, and with the feedback the customer gives us, we begin scheduling the next shipments.”
The UK joins Canada, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and the UAE as countries with access to Mexican mamey sapote.
