The mango season continues in Côte d'Ivoire. Exporters are keeping their spirits up despite the obvious impact of the lack of rainfall. Adjoka Joel, Ivoirian mango producer & exporter, explains the situation.

"All production conditions are good, except for the lack of rainfall which has caused a slow growth of fruits, and the decrease of volumes. Until now, we've experienced a 30% decrease of yields. Insufficient rainfall is delaying the gap between each bloom, but we are making sure that it does not impact the size and quality," said Adjoka.

But the decrease in volumes has been compensated by an increase in prices. Adjoka explains: "Prices are currently at 5-6 EUR CIF / 4 kg box, and will surely increase from next week. For comparison, we started the season last year at 5 EUR, but due to the abundance of volumes, prices have dropped to 2.5 EUR."

Ivorian mango production is among the largest in West Africa, with a volume that reached 180,000 tons in 2021 according to FAOSTAT. The most produced variety is the Kent.

What makes the strength of Ivorian mangoes, according to Adjoka, is the abundance of medium sizes "we have large quantities of sizes 9 and 8, and less than 7 and 10. The medium sizes are very much in demand in Europe and especially by the supermarkets."

Another major point of strength is the length of the Ivorian mango season, adds Adjoka: "We offer export schedules up to a month after Peru exits the market, knowing that Peru is our biggest competitor."

In terms of demand, most of the volumes from the Ivory Coast are exported to European countries. However, exporters want to diversify their markets and are targeting North America in particular, according to Adjoka.

"The mango industry remains strong and solid despite the ups and downs. We will follow the growing demand and increase our area, from 450 ha to 700 ha by 2025," concluded Adjoka.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com