Peru mango harvest projected to drop 60% due to El Niño

Peru's mango harvest is projected to decline by approximately 60% this season due to the El Niño climate phenomenon. Milton Calle, owner of the export company Boom Fruit, estimates that exportable mango production will fall to between 80,000 and 100,000 tons, compared to 240,000 tons in the previous season.

The impact varies significantly by region. Piura, which accounts for 72% of Peruvian mango cultivation, is seeing flowering rates of only 10% to 15%. While this low flowering rate is severe, Calle notes that export volumes may not drop by the same 85% margin because fruit previously destined for local markets or the frozen food industry is being redirected toward exports.

In Lambayeque, the situation is potentially more critical; Calle warned that if rainfall levels mirror the extreme 1997 El Niño event, yields in that region could drop to zero. In Casma, flowering rates are between 40% and 50% in higher elevations, but fall below 10% in the lower areas where most production occurs.

This reduction in Peruvian supply coincides with a weakened season in Ecuador, where production is expected to drop from the usual 14 to 15 million cartons to just 3 to 4 million cartons.