The National Mango Board's plan to elevate the category across the board

Written and reported by Macarena Bravo | Lee esta noticia en Español

The mango is leaving its reputation as an exotic fruit behind to establish itself as a category with strong potential in the US market, Ramón Ojeda, executive director of the National Mango Board (NMB), told FreshFruitPortal.com.

He explained that the growing demand stems from a strategy focused on consumer education, the promotion of the fruit’s health benefits, and ensuring a 52-week-a-year supply of varieties such as Tommy Atkins, Ataulfo, Kent, and Mingolo.

Although per capita consumption in the US is still low, the industry sees enormous growth potential, especially among young families and Hispanic, Asian, and African-American communities.

What factors explain why the category is no longer considered an exotic fruit in the United States?

Thanks to the work of the National Mango Board in educating the customer, showing all the properties the fruit has in terms of health and nutrition, and also teaching them how to choose, cut, eat, and use it. This has made the fruit more prominent in consumers’ minds.

In fact, the household penetration we have is around 25 percent, and the purchase intensity is around 3.3 mangoes. It is a fruit that is consumed practically daily.

Which segments are driving consumption growth?

There is an increase across all segments, but ethnic populations, mainly Hispanics, Latinos, African Americans, and Asians, are seeing greater consumption participation. Also, young families, because they are interested in having a better diet.

Which states show the greatest growth potential?

The East and West coasts traditionally have the highest consumption rates because a large portion of the Latino and Asian population is there. But there is a growth opportunity in the central United States, which we view with great interest. That’s where we are making a greater advertising effort to introduce and expand our footprint among consumers.

What are the logistical challenges for achieving smooth fruit delivery?

In the supply chain, we work with domestic production from Florida and California, but the vast majority of the fruit is imported from countries such as Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and Brazil.

One of our pillars is product quality, so we work with all actors in the supply chain to ensure that the mango is handled optimally at all times.

How do you ensure a continuous supply in the US market?

We work with exporter organizations from all these countries. We meet every week to have accurate and timely information on how the harvest is coming along, the volume of fruit, and whether there are any factors we should consider regarding food safety or quality.

What are the main challenges for the industry to guarantee high-quality across the board?

We are constantly training, helping, and working together as a team with members of the supply chain to ensure high-quality fruit, the right volumes arrive, and the consumer experience is a complete success.

What is the main challenge to sustaining mangoes’ growth in the US market?

Fruit quality is the fundamental strategic pillar. That’s why we must work together as an industry to always ensure a world-class mango. 

We have a growth opportunity in the United States, so we have to work together as an industry to continue offering fruit with excellent flavor and providing volumes that allow us to keep marketing so that the market continues to grow.

What actions will the NMB take in the context of the World Cup?

We are working with consumers digitally to incentivize fruit purchases. For example, by buying $5 or more in mangoes and submitting a photo of the receipt, they can enter to win a series of prizes.

Additionally, we are working with retailers to run shelf and aisle promotions so that, upon entering the store, the consumer can see a large display of mangoes.

*All images are referential.

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