Oxnard, California-based Mission Produce, a source, producer and distributor of fresh Hass avocados, has launched its year-round mango program. The program will be the first to incorporate ripening and distribution on a global and national scale through Mission’s advanced network.
“We’re entering the mango category today as we did the avocado category almost 40 years ago in a way that has never been done before,” said Mission Founder and CEO Steve Barnard. “As the No. 1 consumed fruit in the world, mangos offer a long runway of opportunity. Adding mangos to our portfolio is a natural next step as we expand our footprint worldwide.”
“We are in a prime position for market expansion. Mission currently owns 300 hectares of mangos in Peru and is on track to source additional fruit from other premier growing regions,” said Stephen Fink, Mission VP of North American sales. “We began our original mango program a few years ago during a seasonal window to keep our workforce employed year-round. We’ve since seen increasing demand from our customers and the impressive response to our current mango program indicates that we are ready to grow into the mango market.”
Barnard said that as the fruit is off-season from avocados, Mission’s “complementary program creates a unique synergy within our international farming business.”
Mission’s unparalleled access across its distribution, ripening and transportation network will allow the company to optimize production with the seasonality of the fruit, as it has with avocados. Entering this category brings additional offerings to Mission’s customer base, enhancing its ability to provide value-added service and maximize profitability.
To oversee the new category, Patrick Dueire joins Mission Produce as director of mangos, bringing more than 20 years of international experience of growing, shipping and distributing the fruit in the U.S. and Europe. In his previous role, he spearheaded Dayka & Hackett’s mango business, managing tropical category imports. In 2016, he was appointed to serve as a member of the National Mango Board.
“Patrick is a strategic hire to complement our avocado expertise with significant capabilities in the mango industry,” said Fink. “As the most advanced avocado network in the world, we are well positioned to capitalize on the opportunity to bring high quality mangos to market while continuing to provide the world class service our customers have come to expect.”
For more information, visit missionproduce.com.
