Australian mango production hit record in 2017-18

The Australian mango industry achieved record volumes during the previous campaign and is set to see volumes continue to rise given the large number of trees being planted, ABC News reported.

The 2017-18 season saw over 10 million trays picked for the first time, with the Northern Territory and Queensland producing 48% and 47% of the national volumes respectively.

An increasing number of new mango trees maturing into commercial production was the main driver behind the record harvest, ABC reported.

Australian Mangoes CEO Robert Gray said newer mango varieties were making up an increasingly larger share of the national crop.

“The non-Kensington Pride varieties are really starting to be a much bigger contributor as those orchards that have been planted over the last 10 to 15 years start getting into full production,” Gray was quoted as saying.

“This is probably the first year that the combination of R2E2, Honey Gold, Calypso and Keitt contributed more than 50 per cent of the total production.”

He added that although volumes may fluctuate, total production is expected to rise over the next five years.

While both early and late season mangoes received good prices, an oversupply mid-season pushed prices down for some regions, he said.

Source: ww.freshfruitportal.com