Chinese mango lovers will now be able to purchase Ecuadorian mangoes online. The launch of a campaign for Ecuadorian mangoes signaled the tropical fruit’s entry into the Chinese market.
The campaign was jointly spearheaded by Pro Ecuador and the Mango Ecuadorian Foundation with Chinese online shopping platforms Yiguo.com and Tmall in Shanghai.
Pro Ecuador is a government entity within the Ministry of Foreign Trade and is in charge of assisting in the promotion of Ecuadorian exports and investments.
Meanwhile, the Mango Ecuadorian Foundation is an Ecuadorian non-profit organization. It uses research and technology to support local mango producers, exporters, and industry sectors.
"After 13 years of negotiation, mango from Ecuador has finally entered the Chinese market," said Diego Vega, the chief commercial officer of Pro Ecuador during the launch.
"Mango is known as an exotic fruit, and the one from Ecuador is one of the best compared to the other countries," Diego added.
Mango farming began in Ecuador in the 1980s. Today, there are approximately 6,500 hectares of mangoes in Ecuador.
Ecuador is ranked among the top 15 mango producers in the world and 84 percent of the mangoes produced in Ecuador are exported.
The agricultural sector exports an average of 42.48 tons of mango annually. Among the top export destinations of Ecuadorian mangoes are the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Chile and New Zealand.
Mango is known by many North Americans, Europeans, and Japanese as the "tropical apple." In Ecuador, mangoes can be red or yellow depending on the variety.
The varieties of mangoes produced in Ecuador are Tommy Atkins (68 percent), Kent (15 percent), Ataulfo (10 percent), Haden (2.5 percent) and Keitt (2 percent).
The Tommy Atkins mango campaign is in the form of a relay. Tmall officially kicked off the campaign on Nov. 15 and would promote the fruit until Monday, Nov. 21.
Meanwhile, fresh fruit e-commerce platform Yiguo.com commenced its leg of the promotion on Nov. 17 and would highlight the fruit until Nov. 30.