Sun World International says its global mango program offers late-season availability with its Blyde Late variety. Imported from South Africa, Blyde Late remains in the market in May, while other varieties traditionally taper off, Sun World says.
“Blyde Late is a powerful example of what this program is built to do,” says Bernardo Calvo, president and CEO of Sun World International. “It allows our partners to stay in the market longer, even when others are already out. That’s a meaningful shift — and it reflects our broader goal of creating a more consistent, reliable mango category through innovation.”
Sun World hosted three field days attended by South African growers, as well as international marketers and distributors, to give partners firsthand access to commercial mango offerings and the opportunity to engage with the company’s technical, commercial and quality teams. Sun World says its Berlin Mango Symposium provided a platform to share insights into its breeding focus, commercialization model and long-term vision for a premium, year-round mango supply.
The company says this approach to its mango program will address market opportunities and address flavor, appearance, shelf life, long seasonality and high productivity with its breeding program — and Blyde Late exemplifies that approach. The variety offers strong yield potential, excellent fruit size and high sugar content, according to Sun World, which adds that at full maturity, Blyde Late extends the mango season well beyond traditional windows.
“It’s not just about having great fruit but having great quality for an extended period of time,” says Gerardo Lugo, chief commercial officer at Sun World. “With Blyde Late, we’re helping our partners capture value in a part of the season that historically has been underserved. That’s where real commercial advantage starts to take shape.”
Sun World has recently collaborated with Mission Produce to tackle the category’s long-standing consistency issues through a major new variety development collaboration.
“We’re building a program that connects breeding, commercialization and global partnerships in a way that hasn’t been done before in mangoes,” Calvo says. “And we’re doing it with a clear focus — delivering better fruit, more consistently, across the entire season.”
