Export of Kent mangoes from Peruvian Piura starts with high prices

The Kent mango season in the Peruvian department of Piura has started with a grower's price of 200 Peruvian sol (€49) for a 20 kilo crate. That is S/ 10 (€2.45) per kilo for product intended for air export. Sea mangoes fetch a grower's price of S/70 (€17) per crate, or S/3.5 (€0.85) per kilo. The high prices compared to last season are due to a yield drop of up to 80%. The flowering was not good due to the high temperatures caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon. Last season, air mangoes were sold at an average price of S/ 5 (€1.25) in Piura, while sea mangoes fetched S/ 1.5 (€0.40) per kilo. “The price of air mangoes fluctuates between S/ 180 (€44) and S/ 200 (€49) for a 20 kilo crate. That is a good price, but only growers who have been able to manage their plots well benefit from it. The impact of climate change has been very strong,” said Milton Calle Cueva, vice-president of Promango, the Peruvian association of mango growers, in an interview with Sedir, an institution that ...