The president of EMEX (Mexico's Mango Exporters Association), Engineer Eduardo Castillejos, was interviewed to better understand the current situation of the Mexican mango. In the interview, Castillejos highlighted the importance of extending the season of Mexican mangoes and growing more in the United States market.
"This season has been mainly marked by the climate change we have experienced. The last rainy season was scarce and had late rains, we also had low temperatures in December. However, compared to last year, our export volume to the United States has increased by ten percent."
Eduardo Castillejos.
Issues and challenges
"I believe that, in the last few years, climate change has been more abrupt and drastic. This is, definitely, one of our most important challenges: how to adapt to severe climate change and how to produce with little water. We also have to look for drought-resistant varieties and techniques so that we can work with water scarcity. Another interesting challenge is that production costs have increased in all aspects, such as cardboard, freight (which has gone up a lot), production inputs, fertilizers, and all inputs involved in the production of mango. In addition, something that we've felt lately in all production areas is a shortage of labor. And, of course, I think everyone feels that there is an economic recession in the markets, and this is also a challenge. Simply put, we have to work in adverse climate, social, and economic conditions; that's the big challenge. But I think we've managed to do it so far.”
The international dimension of Mexican mango
"Mexican mango is well known, it has a good reputation all over the world because Mexico is the world's leading mango exporter and what's missing is the supply to different markets; perhaps this is not the case in North America and Canada, but it is in Europe and Asia. We must work to increase our production time and our export window. We currently do it from mid-January to the end of September or the beginning of October, and our goal would be to do it all year round. We also have to increase our varieties as each market has a preference."