With an investment of $4 million, fruit that has been discarded for sale as fresh produce will be exported diced and frozen by a Nicaraguan company.
A plant belonging to Frozen Fruit SA will process fruit that has been discarded for sale as fresh produce, starting operations next week in the town of El Jicaral, in the pr province of Leon, Nicaragua.
During the 2011 season 465 containers with a total of 2,256,317 boxes were exported to the United States and Europe
A press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) states that this is “46% more than the amount exported in 2010”
A report by the authorities of the State Phytosanitary Service (SFE) at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), shows that Costa Rica has considerably increased mango exports with respect to last season going from 1212. 289 boxes in 2010 to 2,256,317 boxes, in 2011
In 2010, the Guatemalan mango industry exported 3.3 million cases, equivalent to 17.000 tons of the product.
Executives from the Mango Committee expect to export 4 million cases in 2011, mainly to the United States, which in 2010 captured 80% of shipments.
In Guatemala there are 8.500 hectares of the product in the hands of 1.500 producers, according to the National Institute of Statistics, which reported that 230 farms export to the U.S.
The first shipment of domestic mango will be harvested in April 2011, and will be exported to England.
In Panama there are 118 hectares sown with export-quality mango. They are a genetic variation of a Peruvian seed.
“Panama sees this fruit as an opportunity to diversify its traditional export portfolio”, reported Prensa.com. “It is a new product to sell in markets in which the country already commercializes watermelon, melon and gourd”.
Technicians from the European Union will inspect pineapple plantations and packing plants.
They will also evaluate production processes for mango and melon.
"The delegation intends to asses how the country prevents pesticide residues in fruits. They want to know how pesticides are used and how residues are controlled. European legislation is very demanding in this topic", reports Nacion.com.
European Union technicians will evaluate the usage of agrochemicals in pineapple, melon and mango plantations and packing plants.
The inspections will be done at random, between October 7th and 15th.
Gabriela Zúñiga, director of the State's Phytosanitary Service, said that "In general, international markets worry about food safety, and one way to accomplish it is to travel to the producing countries and make sure that what we send has no contaminants beyond the permitted limits".
$6 million were exported in the first half of the year, some 4.5 million kilograms more than the same period of 2008.
In the 2009 mango season, 86% of the exports went to Europe and the remaining 13% to the United States.
"Despite the phytosanitary barriers, the fruit complies with sanitary requirements, and there hasn't been any interception nor fumigation at ports of entry", commented Magda González, spokesperson from the State's Phytosanitary Service, in an article in Nacion.com. "Mango complies with all innocuousness requirements", she said.
The amount exported in 2008 to US and European markets was 15,200 tons and 16 thousand tons are expected for this year.
Mangoes, together with melons and papaya are among the most sought-after fruit abroad.
SigloXXI.com reported statements by the chairman of the Mango Committee of the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport), Eddy Martínez: "There are 6 thousand hectares planted with export product and it is growing annually by about 400 hectares. Mango is one of the non-traditional crops whose exports have also increased in terms of production plants."
After the signing of the Authorization Protocol between the two countries, local producers project an increase of 7.5% in sales.
Prensalibre.com reports: "The protocol, which was approved by the Ministries of Agriculture in both countries, will regulate the procedures for the processing of said fruit, in order to maintain phytosanitary control, as well as certifying the packers and verifying the quarantine process to which the product is subjected.