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Culture, Featured, News

Little Ataulfos. Big Opportunity.

January 31, 2024

Offering consumers  a side of value along with their #MangoJoy

Our sweet organic Ataulfos are making their way across the USA and into stores. Their natural sugar caramel sweetness, complemented by subtle Mexican spice undertones, is soon to grace the hands of eager Ataulfo aficionados. The potential for sweet culinary creations becomes limitless: from vibrant salsas and fiery hot sauces (Crespo Sinaloa Sauce) to delightful breakfasts, luscious cakes, and decadent desserts. Most will simply eat them and experience the high dose of #MangoJoy that this particular varietal offers, savoring them more so this season onset with the backdrop of the mango-chaos.

We won’t deceive ourselves and overlook the significantly high market prices and their impact on both sales and consumer enthusiasm for mangoes. It’s evident that we are navigating uncharted territory in the realm of mango markets, a situation well-acknowledged by all.

Certainly, I think, we not only have good ideas but also the determination and mango expertise to navigate through the chaos, all with the goal of achieving sweet results for consumers, retailers and our own systems. In these times, it’s crucial for all of us to tap into our creativity, think more openly, and be willing to try new things.

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Featured, News

Season Opener – The Consumer Favorite

January 24, 2024

Ataulfo’s offer up  a mega does of #MangoJoy amidst serious season complexities

The onset of the Mexican mango season is anticipated to bring significant complexity and is expected to persist as such for several months. First up, as always Mexico’s yellow slipper, the Ataulfo mango. A beloved consumer favorite and one of the fastest growing mango varietals in the US market.

As Ataulfo mangoes are picked and packed and transported up Mexico and across the border to retailers nationwide, they navigate through the challenges of a turbulent Peruvian season. Unfortunately, the Peruvian season, impacted severely by merciless El Niño weather during blooming stages, has not yielded any sufficient volume, leaving large empty pipelines throughout the global mango industry. Traditionally, the US market during this period is flooded with lower-priced Peruvian fruit, but the current scenario sees Peruvian growers struggling with volumes and unable to meet even a portion of the worldwide demand, leading to chaos with farmers searching for the highest bidder in markets across Europe, Asia, and the USA.

The challenging Peruvian situation in the US market puts immense pressure on the commencement of the Mexican season. Retailers find themselves not only attempting to bridge the gap but also facing total panic for the upcoming months when mangoes are typically the most promotable fruit. Contracts are in disarray, and a veil of silence shrouds the realities south of the border, contributing to unprecedented market confusion.

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Featured, News, People

Ataulfo Marketing 101

January 24, 2024

 

Shortcutting the promotion of Mexico’s yellow slipper

This is an industry geared post.

Despite the challenges in the early Mexican season, Ataulfo mangoes are poised to bring us our  much-needed #MangoJoy.

As our  Crespo Organic Ataulfo mangoes are about to make their debut,  now is the opportune moment to evaluate your current organic Ataulfo program or consider implementing one. With our expertise, top-quality products, and dedicated support, the Crespo Ataulfo program stands strong even amid the chaotic Peruvian circumstances……..carpe diem.

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Farm, Featured, News

Organic Ataulfos {Slowly Kind Of} Start Now

January 16, 2024

Mexican mango season starts slowly amidst an empty pipeline…..

I’m back from a beach break in Puerto Rico, a much needed respite before another Mexican mango season begins. This break proved to be a wise decision, considering the anticipated complexity of the looming mango season, perhaps even more complex than usual and mostly just at the onset.

In my last crop report, “A Christmas Mango Teaser,” my message was a mix of positive news alongside Roberto’s warning about the strong winds prevailing at that time. Many expected wind damage resulting in some gaps, prompting us to wait before assessing the situation.

Unfortunately, the wind did cause damage by dislodging blooms and even some set fruit, creating numerous small gaps from orchard to orchard. This will impact volumes at the onset and during the initial weeks of the season. Essentially, supplies will be limited for most of February but are expected to increase and stabilize as we progress into March.

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Featured, News, People

Harvesting Food Trends

January 15, 2024

 

A mango-centric exploration of the year’s most anticipated influences

Food trends are often a bit waggish, but the current buzzing trends seem poised for positive impact and that excites me. I think the timing is ripe for all of us in mangoes and produce to take a thoughtful look and see how we can harness them to benefit farmers, farming communities, consumers, and everyone’s bottom lines.

I explore 2024’s most anticipated food trends through mango-colored glasses, drawing insights from writers, researchers, mango enthusiasts, shoppers, marketers, culinary professionals, and mango experts. I aim to uncover the meaning within these trends, demonstrating how produce and mangoes align with them at retail level and across the entire chain. My goal is to help our industry foster deeper significance in our practices, embracing the interconnectedness between the business, the eating and the human elements and, above all, spread more #MangoJoy in 2024.

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Farm, Featured, Kitchen, News

A Christmas Mango Teaser

December 20, 2023

Generally jolly good orchard news,  a sprinkle of bah humbug
& my best holiday mango recipes

 Roberto Crespo, a member of the #HermanosCrespos “band” or what I consider the lead singer of our south, is currently and like usual, deeply rooted in the soils of Oaxaca and Chiapas preparing for the season start up.  This week he is sharing some encouraging updates direct from our Mexican mango orchards down there, which feels like the best Christmas news ever! He sprinkles a little bah humbug on our festive mood, reporting of some serious wind currently swirling the orchards, noting it could be concerning for fruit supply farther into the season. I will report back with my usual New Year/ New Season Mexican Mango Predictions next week with more details from Roberto.  Consider this just a little teaser of Christmas hope before we all break for the holiday. Today, I want mostly to sprinkle a bit of #MangoJoy on us for the Mexican mango season ahead with the scarcity of positive offshore organic mango news, I thought some flashes of good news would be a nice change.

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Featured, News, Product

NEW! Shelf-Ready Dried Mango – Tear Away Display Case

December 18, 2023

Our tropical, chewy, portable mango snacks get wrapped up as perpetual gifts

Picture this: a hassle-free opening experience that mirrors the excitement of unwrapping a gift, revealing not just Mexico’s sweetest and most prized portable natural indulgence – Crespo Organic Dried Mangoes but the delightful revelation that the shipping box transforms into a perpetual gift as it doubles as a captivating Crespo Organic branded display box. This picture is real, and it’s our new Shelf-Ready Tear-Away display Case!

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Featured, News

Gratitude for Blooms

November 22, 2023

A Thanksgiving Mexican mango crop update & overview

The upcoming two months hold significant importance in relation to weather conditions and their impact on the early Mexican mango crop in Oaxaca and Chiapas. These months will greatly influence our final crop expectations and overall outlook. It is currently too early to make definitive predictions. However, during the two months preceding fruit bloom, set and formation (as discussed in a previous post “MANGO BLOOMS WOW” also available visually on YouTube), our focus intensifies. This period is vital for closely monitoring weather patterns, orchard health, and other developments, marking the initial steps in formulating a clearer understanding of the upcoming season.

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Culture, Featured, News, People

Cultivating #MangoJoy for Profit

September 19, 2023

The ROI of Crespo’s Summer Mango Mania promotion

 I know I live in a world that doesn’t register ROI in happiness, let alone recognize the monetary value of #MangoJoy.  I am, however, acutely aware that #MangoJoy has value and that when we work together to cultivate it, building comprehensive mango programs that encircle it,  everyone (including farmers and farming communities) reap more substantial and sustainable profits, a rather difficult thing to achieve within any organic produce commodity; regardless of if you are a retailer, wholesaler or a grower/packer/shipper like El Grupo Crespo. Our summer mango promotion was designed to do just that.  And yes, I’ve got empirical data, retailer, wholesaler and processor testimonials along with loads of intuitive data to prove that our Summer Mango Mania promotion works, delivering profits to retailers, excitement to shoppers and sustainability for our growing program.

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Farm, Featured, News

In case You Missed It

September 15, 2023

Terrible Ecuadoran & Peruvian mango volume predictions

The Mexican organic mango season is officially closed at orchard level, and while that’s certainly noteworthy, there’s another pressing issue that demands our attention: the forecasts for Ecuadorian and Peruvian mango production volumes, both organic and conventional, are extremely grim. In fact, they are expected to be significantly worse than just bad—reaching catastrophic levels in the case of organic mangoes.

I’m going to try to succinctly piece together the facts, while reminding you of the finicky nature of mango blooms. It’s important to note that not even chemical bloom agents (which aren’t employed in organic production) are powerless against nature’s whims, such as El Niño or climate change.

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