Peruvian Mango Guide

The table below refers to the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of Peruvian mango markets.

Peru has more than 130 producers/exporters of mangoes distributed along the northern coast of Peru at Casma, Olmos, and Chulucanas Valleys. Camposol as in several produced and exported fruits is the main exporter of mangoes in Peru with its 24.9M USD representing 39% of the share of the market, almost by half we find Sunshine Export with 11.9M USD being 19% of the share, third and close we have Asia Farms with 10.7M USD with 17% of the share, other important exporters we find are Dominus, Golden fresh, Tropical Fruit, Frutas de Piura, between others.

Farmers -> Packhouses -> Exporters

Most of the time, farmers export directly themselves wherein they bring the mangoes to the packinghouses which are then exported under their (exporter’s) name. In times when exporters have partner farms, they direct the farmers to grow the crops in a certain way to meet certain production specifications. There are only few exporting companies that source from small farmers and they are usually the big exporters. Other times, large packinghouses have their own farms for which they can do everything in-house. Usually, the fruit is picked when the order comes in. Generally, for the 2021 season, the crops from Piura were not as good wherein the lack of rainfall resulted to smaller mangoes. On the other hand, mangoes from Casma are expected to be of larger size and of better quality. 

A co-op between farmers exists, wherein even small farmers can register. Farmers can receive financial assistance, or gain assistance from how to produce the crops. 

Peru has more than 130 producers/exporters of mangoes distributed along the northern coast of Peru at Casma, Olmos, and Chulucanas Valleys. Camposol as in several produced and exported fruits is the main exporter of mangoes in Peru with its 24.9M USD representing 39% of the share of the market, almost by half we find Sunshine Export with 11.9M USD being 19% of the share, third and close we have Asica Farms with 10.7M USD with 17% of the share, other important exporters we find are Dominus, Golden fresh, Tropical Fruit, Frutas de Piura, between others.

The dry tropics of Northern Peru allow the production of fruit of characteristics of color and flavor unbeatable without the health problems generated by tropical rains. These characteristics promote the obtaining of a mango exquisite and well-accepted both locally and internationally. 90% of the fruit leaves the port of Paita in Piura, where precisely 76.37% of the Peruvian production is handled.

The rest is grown in Lambayeque (16.9%) and in Ancash (6.71%), in the Casma Valleys. 

Peruvian window export for mangoes begins in month of October ending in April, the peak goes through December to March when it concentrates 93% (201M USD) of yearly exports.

November – March (harvest season of the Kent mango, which takes up 95% of Peruvian mango exports). Peru’s season is very set and there are almost no mangoes during the off-season.

Peru is the number three mango exporter in the world, with 10.9% of the share of the market it exports 216.5M USD next to Mexico as number one with 430.37M USD (21.67% SM) and Brazil with 262.19M USD (13.2% SM).

The predominant market is Europe and the US, with various countries in Europe demanding different standards. 

Netherlands: +13.2% YoY (2020), +128.5% (2011-2021)

The import quantity of mangoes has increased by 50% over a 5-year period (2016-2020). As the Netherlands is considered to be the gateway to the EU, it might also be more productive to target the rest of Europe. The market consists heavily of Peruvian and Brazilian mangoes

US: +27% YoY (2021)

While the US is the second-largest export market for Peru and has shown a YoY increase of 27%, the expert we have contacted has informed us that the main market of export in his opinion is the US, much more so than Europe. There is competition with Mexico, especially due to lower freight costs. Prices for the last season on the East coast were at USD 3-5 per box, and the West coast USD 5.50 – 9 per box.

Other Eurpean Markets: 

Mangoes traded in the Netherlands and Spain mainly go to Germany, the UK, France, and Portugal. French and Portuguese consumers place high value in the taste, while consumers in Germany and the United Kingdom uphold the highest standards in terms of certification.

Two types of mango are cultivated in Peru: frank plants (not grafted and polyembryonic), such as Criollo de Chulucanas, the Chato de Ica, the Rosado de Ica, which are mainly oriented to the production of pulp and concentrated juices and exported to Europe; and improved varieties (grafted and monoembryonic), such as Haden, Kent, Tommy Atkins and Edward, which are exported fresh.

Maritime transport in Peru is becoming increasingly important in all types of international merchandise trade operations and also in the case of mango exports. 

Fluvial and lake ports of Peru so that you fully understand how important they are, for example, in terms of exports, among many other possibilities.

The port of Callao

Surely the first of the seaports of Peru is Callao. It is the one that receives the greatest volume of traffic in the entire country and also the one with the greatest operational storage capacity for merchandise throughout the Peruvian territory. One of the main advantages of the port of Callao, compared to other Peruvian seaports, is its geographical location. Specifically, it is located in the country's capital city, Lima, and is frequently used to ship very heavy goods.

The Port of Paita

The second of the seaports of Peru in terms of merchandise transit is probably that of Paita. It is one of the ports with the greatest impact for the transit of all types of containers, only surpassed by the port of Callao. It has a great geographical location as it is located in a northern area of ​​Peru, such as Piura.

The Port of Salaverry

Among our list of the main seaports in Peru, Salaverry could not be missing. It presents an enormous particularity, which often goes unnoticed on numerous occasions, this port has a breakwater that exceeds 600 meters in length and is intended to reduce the impact of the waves.

For the Chinese, Korean, and US markets, the market is more stringent, where they require a hydrothermal treatment, whereas the mangoes require a hot water treatment. Many suppliers prefer to send to the EU as they do not require the treatment. The main aspect they look for is the presence of fruit flies.

For the EU Phytosanitary and the certificate of origin is required for exporting for the EU.

An official certificate from SENASA(National service of agrarian sanity of Peru) is necessary to export the mangoes.

-SENASA supervises the whole inspection process from visiting the farms, entering the packinghouses, and finishing packing.

-SENASA seals the product after the inspection process and issues the phytosanitary certificate.

Mango exports for the 2020/21 campaign will be 15% lower than exports made during the previous year. The main factor that will affect shipments is the drought that affects the north of the country. The Peruvian Association of Mango Producers and Exporters (APEM) estimated that mango exports for the 2020/2021 campaign will exceed 200,000 Tons, a volume that would be far from the 234,000 Tons achieved during the past year (-15%).

The factor affecting mango production is the drought faced by regions off the north coast of Peru. The lack of rainfall, associated with what would be the La Niña Phenomenon, is causing reservoirs not to reach the levels necessary to irrigate the plantations, especially in these key months, because it is when mango plants in that area require continuous irrigation for the fruit to reach the calibers demanded in the international market.

There was a particular dip in production from the Piura region, and had to partly depend on fruits from Motupe and Casma which produce lesser fruits. Peru’s exports decreased by 11% in volume (205K MT) and 10% in value compared to 2019/20 due to a drought that affected the northern region, as well as a strike by agricultural workers in December and truckers in March. 

The production level for MY 2021/22 is expected to be normal. The price for this year is expected to be lower than last year.