The 2014 mango season in the Axarquia district produced a record harvest of 20 million kilos and revenues up by 75% on 2013.
Mangoes from the Axarquia account for the majority of the fruit being produced in Europe. The quality of the fruit has also been excellent and prices to the consumer have been around €10 per kilo in many European countries.
Farmers have also reportedly fared quite well, in the end. At the beginning of the harvest, farmers feared that production forecasts would lead to lower prices, and many decided on an early sale price below the threshold of €0.90 per kilo. However, the demand from European markets changed the situation.
For the Osteen variety of mango, the most common, the farmers ended up receiving €1.18 per kilo, the highest rate ever paid. For the Keintt and Keent varieties, which are later maturing, the farmers received around €2 per kilo.
The mango season this year lasted from August to late December.