Crespo Organic says its 2024 Mexican mango season is underway, though it is beginning amid unprecedented complexities, marked by a notable absence of Peruvian fruit, with definitive market chaos projected for several months before any stabilization emerges.
A full Crespo Organic crop report provides greater details of the complexities and expectations this season, according to a news release. The company anticipates that ataulfo mangoes will experience robust and increased market demand as retailers are expected to attempt to fill the void in round-fruit pipelines.
Crespo Organic says ataulfo mangoes are set to debut in all sizes, with greater small fruit volumes at the onset. As mangoes continue to gain momentum nationally, the organic ataulfo mango continues to capture even greater growth as more mango consumers discover Mexico’s unique mango varietal, the release said.
Crespo Organic says its ataulfo program offers retailers, wholesalers and processors a comprehensive, long and strong program, which commences in late January in Oaxaca and Chiapas and flows north along Mexico’s Pacific Rim, then through Nayarit and into Sinaloa where it ends in early-August. The Crespo program is one of the largest organic ataulfo offerings and has a keen focus on consistency and delivering large volumes of definitive sizes, without sacrificing quality while providing consumer-friendly price points and supporting with in-store and virtual (industry and consumer) education on this Mexican cultivar, according to the release.
Crespo Organic ataulfos are available in all packaging SKUs; they are having equal growing success as part of the Crespo Organic Dried Mango program, where this varietal is available in both retail (1-pound and 4-ounce) SKUs, the release said.
The company says its “Ataulfo Marketing 101" provides to retailers a comprehensive range of creative resources designed to stimulate and attract purchases at the store level. The initiative aims to educate and engage consumers, even in the face of higher prices, and Crespo’s approach to mango education emphasizes the importance of meticulous attention to detail for a successful ataulfo program, according to the release.
The revival of last season’s campaign, “It Takes a Village” — highlighting “Ataulfo Mangoes; Sweet & Picky!” — is particularly relevant given the current pricing dynamics, Crespo said. It serves as a tool to educate consumers on proper ataulfo handling practices, leveraging successful partnerships forged by Crespo, ultimately contributing to program success and fostering #MangoJoy among consumers, the release said.
Supporting social media educators, videos, in-depth reports and opinion pieces are available via Crespo’s “Under The Mango Tree,” as well as the Crespo signature culinary prowess, offering recipes, tips, ideas and a few tricks (such as how to cut mangoes) from the Crespo Organic Kitchen, according to the release. Plenty of live, in-person events will be featured this summer as the Crespo Organic Kitchen heads out to participating retailers, the release said.
