Kenya’s ideal equatorial climate and loamy soils found at the coast and the interior are ideal for mango farming. Due to their adaptability to various soil types, however, they can also be grown in dry areas provided there is ample irrigation. Local varieties grown include Ngowe and Dodo, while higher-yielding, international ones include Kent and Tommy Atkins. Our main producers are Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Embu, Machakos and Makueni. Other mango-growing counties include Murang’a, Garissa and Siaya, which even has a processing plant. Major harvest seasons are from October to March and from May to July.
In recent years Kenya’s mangoes have gained popularity for major producers of concentrate such as Minute Maid, which has provided a boon for mango farmers. Major investment that has streamlined mango picking and reduced post-harvest losses has meant that farmers are able to get a high return for their inputs. At the same time, heavy investments in mango processing has meant that the market has grown substantially. A processing plant can produce as much as 3,000 liters of mango puree per hour, with a litre fetching between 1 to 2 dollars on the global market, making mangoes an important part of our tropical fruit exports, especially given that value addition happens locally.
Our main markets are the Middle East, with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia leading the pack. The United Kingdom and European Union countries like the Netherlands are also frequent destinations for our golden green and orange fruits.
So have you enjoyed a wonderfully ripe mango recently? Is your preference ngowe or apple mango? With chilli or without?
