Freska Produce International's Gary Clevenger Discusses Increased Volumes and Higher Sales in the Mango Category

The holiday season welcomes a rainbow of fresh produce to retail aisles, and doesn’t Freska Produce International know it. As the buy-side gears up for this year’s seasonal push, I checked in on mango market conditions with the supplier’s Gary Clevenger, Managing Member and Co-Founder.

“Currently, the mango market is doing well as we transition from Mexico to the offshore programs, with Tommy Atkins out of Brazil, and both Tommy Atkins and Honey Mangos out of Ecuador,” Gary told me. “There are some other scattered varieties like Keitts and Palmers that are coming from Brazil also.”

As Gary explained, Ecuador began shipping its supplies about two weeks early this year and expects to peak early in mid-November and be done by Christmas time. Peruvian-grown Kent mangos are expected to begin shipping to the U.S. in November with arrivals in early December.

“We are shipping product from our Oxnard, California, location and have a shipping point in New Jersey as well,” said Gary. “Quality this year seems to be normal and volumes are slightly up over last year. Promotions this year have already started. Prices have increased compared to 2020 and we are seeing good movement.”

The movement that Gary speaks of has been present in the supply chain for the past two years, driving higher sales numbers for Freska’s retail partners and showing no signs of slowing.

“I am very confident that sales will continue to increase with the rising popularity of the most eaten fruit in the world,” he concluded. “U.S. consumption continues to go up, and we will see the popularity of this special fruit continue to go up as well.”