U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue has appointed six members to serve the National Mango Board (NMB), including five new members and one returning member.

Appointees will serve three-year terms beginning January 1, 2018 and ending on December 31, 2020.

The newly appointed board members include importers: Jojo Shiba of Hidalgo, TX; Thomas Hall of Pico Rivera, CA; and Jerry Garcia Sr. of Encino, TX. Also appointed are domestic producer Stuart Johnson of Hilo, HI, and foreign producers Carlos R. Palafox A. of Jalisco, Mexico; and Cesar Morocho Marchan of Piura, Peru.

Shiba is returning to the board to serve a second consecutive term.

“I truly appreciate the time and expertise that these individuals have agreed to give guidance the National Mango Board in its mission to find ways to provide fresh mangos to U.S. consumers and help their industry thrive,” Perdue said.

In a release the NMB thanked the following members who were completing their term on the board for their service to the mango industry: Greg Golden of Vineland, NJ; Enrique Sanchez of Nayarit, Mexico; Shawn Allen of Sugarland, TX; Oscar Orrantia of Guayaquil, Ecuador; and Web Barton of San Carlos, CA.

“On behalf of the board and the entire mango team, we welcome the newly appointed members to the NMB,” said NMB executive director Manuel Michel.

“We look forward to working with all 18 members to develop and execute their ideas and continue driving mango demand. I also want to thank those members who are completing their term on the board for their time and valuable service.

"The success the mango industry is experiencing is a direct result of the leadership generated from this board as a whole.”

An NMB spokesperson told Fresh Fruit Portal that mango volume shipped to the U.S. rose by almost 10% to 101 million boxes from January through to the beginning of December. This also compares to 62 million boxes in 2005, representing an increase of 77%.

Photo: NMB

www.freshfruitportal.com