Mango industry key to success of agri master plan

Improvement and research development were part of the aspects highlighted at the Mango Cultivar Day held recently in Limpopo. The National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), the organisation that will oversee the co-ordination and implementation of the flagship Agriculture and Agroprocessing Master Plan (AAMP), participated in the event. The South African Mango Growers’ Association (SAMGA) plays a key role in the success of this programme through the provision of funds to support research initiatives.

The cultivar day was organised by the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Tropical and Subtropical Crops Division to showcase the four new cultivars that emerged from the ARC’s ongoing mango breeding programme. A wide range of processed products, such as dried mango, mango roll, atchar, jam and chutney, were displayed at the event.

According to the NAMC, government and private sector partners needed to strive towards the achievement of the AAMP’s objectives and commitments. “The work done by the ARC’s Tropical and Subtropical Crops Division and SAMGA accentuates the public-private partnership (PPP) envisaged by the AAMP. In its nature, the PPP model was designed such that the sector utilises and strengthens the existing Value Chain Round Tables as one of the delivery models to drive growth, competitiveness, transformation, and investments in the sector,” the council said in a statement.

According to the NAMC, the implementation of the AAMP is underway, and strong partnerships and collaborations between government, industry and other key role players remain crucial. “This will ensure that the strategic objectives and aspirations of the AAMP as well as commitments by all social partners are realised.” The South African mango industry is focused on the domestic market, with only a small share of production destined for export markets.

“In the 2022/23 season, South Africa produced a total of 84 357t of mangoes, recording a 39% increase from the 60 697t produced in the previous season. Data from SAMGA shows that, over the years, processing has become an integral part of local production, with about 41% processed to atchar, dried (17%), and juice (10%). Direct sales account for about 8% of local production while exports account for only about 6%,” the council said.

The South African mango industry consists of five commercially approved mango cultivars, namely Tommy Atkins, Keitt, Kent, Sensation and Heidi. The council said the South African agroecological growing conditions were not ideally suited for producing these cultivars, and they were also prone to several challenges. As a result of these challenges, the ARC established a mango breeding and evaluation programme in four production regions: Hoedspruit, Tzaneen, Malalane and Clanwilliam in 1990. –

IN 1990, THE ARC ESTABLISHED A MANGO BREEDING AND EVALUATION PROGRAMME