Cheery news from the orchard fills our holiday season in hope and promise
Roberto Crespo, a key member of the #HermanosCrespos “band”—and what I like to call the lead singer of our southern region—is firmly planted in the soils of Oaxaca and Chiapas, gearing up for the season’s start. This week, he and his brother Jose Angel bring us some encouraging updates straight from our Mexican mango orchards in both regions. While there’s a tentative start date on the horizon and some good (and BIG) news to meet early spring demand, the season may see a slightly slower start due to wind and rain damage to early blooms. Still, the outlook for spring feels like it will be prosperous—much like we hope the new year itself will be.
Consider this a little teaser—a sprinkle of hope and #MangoJoy to sweeten the Christmas spirit before we all head off to be with family and friends for the holiday season. Let me gently remind you that weather in the southern region can get a bit wild in early January, particularly in Oaxaca, where the infamous La Ventosa winds often sweep through with a chilly edge. But for now, as we embrace Christmas and step toward the New Year, we’re carrying a whole lot of optimistic hope—and that feels like a great gift for Christmas.
Early Blooms & Bad Rain
Back in early November, I reported on mango blooms blanketing southern Mexico, bringing the promise of possibility and reminding us that less than 1% of these delicate flowers will form fruit, despite the illusion of endless potential. Growers predicted the Oaxacan Ataulfo season would begin around January 20th, following the natural bloom-to-fruit rhythm, a process that takes 100 to 150 days. I also noted that heavy rains at the time added a mix of cautious optimism to the outlook. Unfortunately, that rain caused issues for many blooms and younger fruit, leading to a predicted “choppier” start to the season. The rain and wind knocked many blooms and young mangoes off the trees, creating not a lack of supply but an inconsistent one, with some gaps in volume. There will still be early Ataulfos, but not as many as we’d hoped. This, however, is not all that uncommon for the start of the Oaxacan season.
Good Rain ( It Happens Sometimes)
There’s very good news for both Ataulfo and Tommy Atkins programs in Oaxaca and Chiapas. Many of the blooms that followed the earlier heavy rains set into an abundance of fruit, which developed well, aided by well-timed positive rain that helped the fruit grow beautifully. Ample volumes are expected for both varieties come March, which marks the start of more serious demand. And for all our BIG Ataulfo fans, yes that is all of you, we should have great supplies of larger sized fruit.
Start Dates
We are anticipating opening the first of our two organic southern packhouses between January 20th-25th, depending on the certification dates (the packhouse can only open once the USDA inspector is onsite and the annual audits are complete). This timing is fairly typical, as Ataulfo is a variety that tends to show up on time, unlike the Kents and Keitts. That’s great news because we have plenty of Crespo Ataulfo lovers to feed, and we expect fruit to hit stores by the end of January! Tommy Atkins will follow closely behind, with our early micro-region crop, and we’re expecting the first harvest of that variety in the first week of February.
Offshore Effects: Logistic & Climate Challenges
The Ecuador organic mango season recently wrapped up, and Peru organics are in full swing, The Peru season is still expected to end early in most areas although opinions differ, but I think that positivity is powerful within the circumstances. The northern Piura region, including San Lorenzo Valley and Motupe, is suffering from severe drought and water rationing, with a state of emergency prioritizing water for human consumption over agriculture, as has been reported widely. The drought and overall lack of water has led to small, prematurely ripening fruit, which is typical with drought and the reason we ended the Mexican season early this past 2024 season. Casma Valley, a later-producing region, faces less intense water shortages and may yield better-sized fruit, but it cannot meet overall demand on its own if the other regions fizzle earlier. While volumes have recovered from last year’s catastrophic low, they are still reported to be 15–25% below average. Organic is under great pressure with large demand in European markets. Several growers of Peruvian organics for the U.S. market report the season to end by March, with quantities declining significantly as early as mid-March maybe even before. We will need to reevaluate these details for accuracy over the next few weeks.
Logistical challenges add to the overall strain. Port delays and limited space on shipping vessels remain ongoing issues for the Peruvian deal into the US and higher freight costs in general have made it increasingly difficult for growers and exporters. Organic prices remain rather high in US markets indicating that volumes remain somewhat limited.
As we move into the new year, I’ll seek out and provide more up to date details and insights into the Peruvian and Mexican seasonal overlap so we can all plan with greater precision for the turnover.
Northern Outlook: Resilience & Climate Woes
Climate challenges aren’t exclusive to Peru; northern Mexico is also grappling with persistent drought that has plagued the region for several years. Despite ample, well-timed rains in the south, the northern regions remain dry. Nayarit is faring better than Sinaloa so far, but the weather outlook for the northern blooming season remains uncertain, requiring close monitoring. Serious drought conditions are clearly an ongoing issue and as we are fixated on the southern regions we keep a close eye to the north.
Climate change continues to drive unpredictability in the mango industry, disrupting every stage of production—from blooming to fruit set, yields, timing, and sizing. These challenges, paired with relentless retailer demand, have created a chaotic environment. Small-sized crops due to drought have only compounded the difficulties, but the northern regions have a distinct advantage: experience and infrastructure. Unlike the south, where higher-volume demands are a more recent development, the north has long been equipped to handle large-scale operations. With larger packhouses, proximity to transportation routes, and infrastructure designed for efficiency, the north is well-positioned to respond to challenges swiftly, even the serious climatic ones.
As a fully integrated organization with proprietary orchards, mango packhouses across all regions in Mexico, and strategically located proprietary border warehouses in Nogales and McAllen, we excel in creating a seamless supply chain—from orchard to table. This unique setup solidifies our position as the mango experts.
I’m signing off from crop reports until after the new year, but don’t worry—I’ll still be around! You can catch me here, Under The Mango Tree and on our social media channels, sharing some of my favorite holiday mango recipes. Whether you’re a mango enthusiast in need of festive inspiration, or someone still to be convinced of the sweet versatility of mangoes in the kitchen, I’ve got you covered!
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