An unprecedented scarcity of Irwin mangoes, caused by unfavorable weather conditions, is expected to drive up prices, farmers’ associations in Nanhua (南化) and Yujing (玉井) districts said.
Yujing District Farmers’ Association head of promotions Chu Chuan-che (朱銓哲) said mango yields have dropped by about 80 percent, adding that although the association pushed back purchases by one week, procurement also declined by the same amount.
The associations’ daily mango supply was more than 1,000kg only once from Friday last week to Monday, the association’s lowest supply ever for the late-June period, Chu said.
Photo: Wu Chun-feng, Taipei Times
Chu said that the association is paying as much as NT$150 per kilogram for the trademarked brand “passion kid” mangoes, more than double what it paid in late June last year, Chu said.
The association’s head of sales, Lin Miao (林妙), said that wholesale purchase prices for mangoes had doubled across the board compared with last year, adding that premium-grade mangoes have become so scarce that the association and farmers have yet to negotiate a price.
The current mango supply is from an early harvest and the next supply is expected to be from plants that were hit by the March rains, which is likely to mean more price increases, Chu said.
The Nanhua District Farmers’ Association said its situation is similar to that of Yujing District, with yields dropping 20 percent below normal levels, adding that measures taken to increase yields have had little effect so far.
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