More mango shipments to the U.S. to come

Jamaican agribusiness companies Dawson Trading and Carita Jamaica have partnered with international buyer, Seasons Farm Fresh, to export the first mango shipment of the season to the USA. Approximately 6440 kg of Mangoes was shipped on April 30, 2021, with more shipments to follow twice a week throughout the season. This is a continuation of the companies’ partnership which started in 2019.

Rita Hylton, CEO of Carita Limited noted that the potential for mangoes was great, and more growth was needed in the production of the fruit.  It is estimated that investing in mango orchards can have a 33.7% average return on investments over a 10 year period.

Hylton said, “The potential value of this business is so huge. It is good to have the hype and excitement for the first shipment, but the market needs the production of good fruit to increase dramatically.”

Diane Edwards, President of JAMPRO, echoed the Carita CEO’s statements. She said that there is high demand for Jamaican fresh produce and that JAMPRO is focused on supporting the agricultural sector’s growth to meet this demand.

Ms. Edwards explained “The Government of Jamaica is committed to finding new ways to develop agriculture not only for export but for local consumption. With more public and private partnerships, and increased support to our farmers and exporters, we believe we will see further expansion in the export of fresh produce and value-added products.”