NewsWhore
07-11-2012, 03:20 PM
Mango Cluster executive director, Gisela Taveras commented on the recent success of the Bayahibe Mango Festival last week in Bayahibe where producers exhibited and offered tasting for 132 varieties and five hotels held gourmet tasting of dishes made with mangos in addition to the fresh fruit variety presentations.
"It was a beautiful activity because people got to know our mangoes, and the idea is that in this sector we can develop locally, and then when the tourists go back to their respective countries they will demand our mangoes n they will know the taste, quality, and coloring," she commented to FreshFruit reporters.
The Bayahibe festival followed the annual Bani ExpoMango that took place from 14-17 June. Taveras said this year there were more international visitors than ever before. She announced next year even more international visitors would attend because ExpoMango will take place at the same time as the 10th International Mango Symposium.
Since 2004 Dominican exports have grown from US$1 million to US$7 million annually, shipping ethnic, gourmet (ready-to-eat air freight) and organic mangoes, reports FreshFruit Portal, that explains that the Dominican producers target gourmet markets to differentiate itself from mass exporters, such as Mexico.
Taveras says Europe accounts for 70% of the country's mango exports with the United Kingdom as its largest market, followed by Canada and the US. The DR has also begun exporting fruit by air to Japan.
The Dominican Republic has around 4,000 hectares dedicated to a wide variety of mangoes, including native mangoes such as Banilejo, Yamagui, Puntita, Pechito and Amarillo, as well as introduced varieties like Keith, Kent, Palmer, Tommy Atkins, Madame Frances and Haden; the latter five mostly fall under the ready to eat air freight or "gourmet" category.
She says the Cluster is also moving in the direction of more value-adding activities that will better harness the total crop each year, so that those mangoes which do not reach export standard can be used for mango products such as chips, dried mangoes, juices and pulp.
http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2012/07/10/dominican-republic-finding-a-lucrative-mango-niche/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)
"It was a beautiful activity because people got to know our mangoes, and the idea is that in this sector we can develop locally, and then when the tourists go back to their respective countries they will demand our mangoes n they will know the taste, quality, and coloring," she commented to FreshFruit reporters.
The Bayahibe festival followed the annual Bani ExpoMango that took place from 14-17 June. Taveras said this year there were more international visitors than ever before. She announced next year even more international visitors would attend because ExpoMango will take place at the same time as the 10th International Mango Symposium.
Since 2004 Dominican exports have grown from US$1 million to US$7 million annually, shipping ethnic, gourmet (ready-to-eat air freight) and organic mangoes, reports FreshFruit Portal, that explains that the Dominican producers target gourmet markets to differentiate itself from mass exporters, such as Mexico.
Taveras says Europe accounts for 70% of the country's mango exports with the United Kingdom as its largest market, followed by Canada and the US. The DR has also begun exporting fruit by air to Japan.
The Dominican Republic has around 4,000 hectares dedicated to a wide variety of mangoes, including native mangoes such as Banilejo, Yamagui, Puntita, Pechito and Amarillo, as well as introduced varieties like Keith, Kent, Palmer, Tommy Atkins, Madame Frances and Haden; the latter five mostly fall under the ready to eat air freight or "gourmet" category.
She says the Cluster is also moving in the direction of more value-adding activities that will better harness the total crop each year, so that those mangoes which do not reach export standard can be used for mango products such as chips, dried mangoes, juices and pulp.
http://www.freshfruitportal.com/2012/07/10/dominican-republic-finding-a-lucrative-mango-niche/
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#9)