First Colombian mangoes land on US shelves
The first Colombian mangoes have hit the shelves of US retailers, after the first container of fresh Keitt mango reached US ports on 27th December. Seasons Farm Fresh, under the leadership of Nick Bernal, assumed the risk of purchasing, importing and marketing this mango variety.
“My dream is to develop Colombian mango in the US and that is why I am taking on this adventure with this 22-ton container. Besides, mango is the only fruit that competes strongly with avocado in North America,” said Bernal.
Mangoes are now part of a total of 108 fresh Colombian agricultural products that have been green lit to enter the US market. The US imports US$552 million in fresh mangoes each year, with a 29% growth in these purchases from 2018 to 2021.
The Varahonda farm that produced these first US-bound mangoes plans to export 1,000 tons of the fruit this year to the US. Colombia has over 36,000 hectares of mangoes, generating 28,000 direct jobs, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
