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Disclaimer: This crop report, like many I write, is told through the lens of Crespo Organic Mangoes, where I’m intricately and joyously embedded. Tis’ the mango season – though at retail it barely feels like it yet. That’s changing now. Despite some early movement from southern Oaxaca, the organic mango pipeline from packhouse to retail is still relatively empty. The lag time is considerable, and stores are waiting eagerly. But I can report that relief is coming: the dates when the majority of Oaxaca packhouses open are now upon us, and growing volumes will begin to flow. Empaque Don Jorge- Bola de Oro Opens Today! Today marks the opening of Crespo Organic’s main Oaxaca packhouse, Bola de Oro. Over the next ten days most other Oaxaca packhouses will open, and shortly after, sometime around mid-February the Chiapas packhouse openings are scheduled to begin. Crespo Organic will start packing Tommy Atkins mangoes at Bola’s opening. Crespo customers can expect round mangoes to land at the McAllen and Nogales distribution hubs by mid-next week. This is good news because demand on the organic side is turning out to be more powerful than ever. As the Tommy Atkins slowly build into any considerable volume, the Ataulfos will immediately perk up in supply, which fits right into the Atualfo-logical clock of the organic mango consumer, who waits anxiously for Mexico’s most popular mango to start up. To quote produce floor staff I spoke with at a Bay Area retailer where I shop: “Everyone is asking for Ataulfos – it’s like clockwork. They know when the season usually starts and the start asking and for them, and then they ask for more of them. They really get excited for Mexican mango season, but they are crazy about the Ataulfos.” If there’s any bad news,…
The U.S. market is extremely short right now across both conventional and organic. Brix levels remain well below target, with lack of maturity throughout all producers. There is widespread picking and packing delays. Weather has been unfavorable, with persistent cloud cover, cold fronts, and limited sunshine slowing maturity development. As fruit begins to final reach maturity around the end of December, additional complications emerge. Many packhouses shut down for Christmas and New Year, further delaying picking, packing, and shipping. Once packhouses reopen after the first of the year, larger amounts of fruit will need to picked and packed and a large volume is likely to move at once. There is considerable uncertainty around the real January 2026 volumes. December harvest volumes are estimated to be at least 30% lower. Organic volumes are likely down even more when isolated within the broader picture. Europe is still taking the bulk of organic volumes as a whole. There is a general consensus that too much immature fruit is being shipped to both the U.S. and Europe, which is expected to result in quality issues at destination. This is largely driven by exporters attempting to meet program commitments, and as often happens, at the expense of ideal maturity and quality. January is shaping up to be the peak shipping window, with mid-January through February landings expected in the U.S. Peru does have less fruit overall — that is clear. How much less remains difficult to quantify at this stage.
As we inch closer to the 2026 Mexican mango season, exporters tentatively aiming for a mid-January Ataulfo start, the orchards in Oaxaca and Chiapas have already begun telling their seasonal story. It’s a similar story about climate change and the unpredictability and complexity that comes with the shifting weather patterns . Orchard behavior continues to be capricious, and the mango farmer’s job grows increasingly active and expensive in the effort to achieve economically viable yields. This update pulls together what I’m seeing, hearing, and tracking on the ground. Overall, things seem positive, but right now one word keeps surfacing in conversations with producers in the southern regions, particularly Oaxaca, which is the first region to begin: thrips. I want to focus on thrips, even though I’m not convinced this is all bad news so much as important on the ground realities that needs greater awareness. For me, it feels like a lesson in transparency, and I take it on as another opportunity to learn more about mangoes myself and to share what I’m learning. As I often say, this is the kind of information no one really talks about, yet it’s exactly the kind we need to work through together. This type of news goes deeper than simple carton-count conversations and aligns closely with my own direct-trade ethos of connecting eaters and farmers through a truly connected supply chain. That connection only works if real information is shared — and, I’d argue, better absorbed across our industry. Overall crop news remains generally positive, and I expect that to be reflected more clearly as we move week to week in future crop reports. For today, though, I want to focus specifically on thrips. At this moment, the greatest pressure facing the Mexican mango industry continues to be pests and disease that…
Today’s crop report echoes the early season’s lack of clarity It’s true—fruit has been rolling sweetly since we passed the Easter shutdowns just like we said it would. There’s ample supply, all sizes, and pricing seems to be lining up rather nicely for our upcoming Summer Mango Mania. So what’s the problem? The problem is—once again—what was supposed to happen… isn’t. The lack of consensus coming out of the orchards is a little mind boggling, like I have reported all season long. Almost everyone I’ve talked to thought they’d get less fruit than they did. Turns out, there’s more fruit on the trees—especially on the conventional side, especially in Michoacán. We are currently at a peak in Michoacan and on the downside of Oaxaca, the peak that seemed to last longer than anticipated. Things seem great but confusion persist at orchard level, which isn’t the same as border level. So, what’s the current outlook? And maybe more importantly, for my organic Crespo people—how do the next few weeks look as we head into Summer Mango Mania? Will there be #MuchosMangoes?
EDJ ( el original) open, Nayarit Ataulfos coming, Summer Mango Mania ahead! Despite persistent challenges, conversations with consumers and distributors revealed a remarkable discovery: significant #MangoJoy is driving consistent, profitable sales of #MuchosMangoes despite the many complexities. Shoppers remain excited despite tariff scares, higher prices and climate-change induced unpredictability. My latest crop report covers the next several weeks into the transition north, highlights Empaque Don Jorge (El Original) opening and previews Summer Mango Mania—launching mid-June, including our popular Crespo Organic Mango Queen specialty mangoes. Despite the challenges I’ve faced orchestrating this season’s mango program, I’m looking ahead at the transition and summer months through mango-blush-colored glasses. I want to focus on the positivity ahead while acknowledging the hard work to come, making sure we’re ready for #MuchosMangoes—because like always they’re on their way. Bottom line: the organic side stays tight for several more weeks until production shifts to our more voluminous northern growing zones. There, Empaque Don Jorge—Latin America’s largest hydrothermic mango packhouse—eagerly awaits to pack more fruit and ship it with shorter transit times and greater ease to both Nogales and McAllen distribution centers. Here’s what to expect in the weeks to come: Northern Transition Climate change drives unpredictability—from bloom and sizing to yields—and unprecedented retailer demand has tightened supplies at every stage. Despite uncertain northern volumes, Nayarit and Sinaloa offer reason for optimism: decades of high-volume service, border proximity, reliable lanes and large packhouses built for volume. This transition is already underway—the next few weeks will be tough, but once fully in motion, conditions should improve and may even exceed expectations. Timing of the Shift We expect the northward move to start next week and finish fully by the end of May, positioning us perfectly to launch Crespo Organic Summer Mango Mania #MuchosMangoes and deliver serious #MangoJoy. Organic…
Less juice in the current squeeze — a timely reminder about fruit and finance In my many years working for global farmers—with the twofold aim of generating real income to build sustainable systems of selling and pleasing consumers with flavor-filled offerings—I’ve heard a lot about the value of the dollar. As a global traveler, I’ve often enjoyed the benefit of its strength. But in my work with organic commodities, especially Mexican mangoes, we’re constantly watching exchange rates. For the last 5-10 years, the peso-dollar relationship has been a fixation. And this week as reports of a plummeting dollar flood the news, it felt important to toss out a reminder about Mexican mangonomics. When the dollar drops and the peso climbs, as is happening now, pressure builds—on top of already crushing challenges. The squeeze tightens. And I think it’s worth asking: how much is too much? Over the past decade, the peso-to-dollar exchange rate has been anything but stable. Moments of political tension—like NAFTA renegotiations—and global crises—like the COVID-19 pandemic—caused major swings in currency value. What was once a relatively steady relationship has become unpredictable and fragile. For Mexican mango producers selling into the U.S. in dollars, this volatility makes planning incredibly difficult. When the peso strengthens, their production costs in Mexico—labor, packaging, fuel, freight, compliance—rise in real terms, while the dollars they’re paid lose value at home. The stronger the peso, the smaller the return. Layer that with steadily rising costs in Mexico across all areas of the supply chain, and the pressure mounts. With the dollar weakening again, the squeeze is real. This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about livelihoods, food, and the system we all rely on.