Freska's Gary Clevenger Discusses Current Mango Season, Upcoming Brazil Peak, and PMA Fresh Summit

It is a transitional time for the mango game as Mexico winds down and Brazil ramps up. I checked in with Gary Clevenger, Managing Partner at Freska Produce International, on the current state of one of the world’s favorite fruits.

“Brazil has been arriving on the East Coast for about three weeks with minimal arrivals, but looking to increase weekly through peak season in mid October. Ecuador has begun shipping yellow mangos first and will ship some red varieties in a couple weeks,” Gary tells me. “We will stop harvesting in Mexico by the end of this month, so we have already been transitioning into the offshore mangos.”

In terms of quality, Gary shares that Keitt varieties are a very nice piece of large fruit, with a fiber-free creamy interior that's fantastic to eat fresh and in recipes.

“So far this year we are doing good and not seeing much rain,” he continues. “Demand has been steady for mangos this time of year, with that fruit is moving out to the retail stores. This time of year, the large fruit is especially popular.”

Speaking of popular, Freska’s new Dried Mangos also continue to gain traction as the 100 percent fruit snack helps push the category into the on-the-go market.

“We are seeing a very strong response to our Dried Mangos since we launched them late last year. There are no additives or sugars, just the organic fruit, and we are excited to continue to spread the word about them at this year’s Fresh Summit,” Gary says.