The first commercial shipment of fresh mangoes left Grenada yesterday, destined to hit markets in the United States.
Over 4,000 pounds of the fresh fruit were shipped to the United States by well-known trafficker, Patrick King, after some twenty years.
Pest Management Officer, Thaddeus Peters, spoke with the Ministry of Agriculture’s PR Unit, as a two-member team from his office conducted an inspection for visual and internal pests, particularly the mango-seed weevil and fruit flies.
Peters says the shipment was made possible through a thorough pest risk analysis conducted in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
APHIS authorized importation of fresh mango fruit from Grenada into the United States, back in February of 2023.
All 108 boxes of mangoes were purchased from farmers and residents in the St. Andrew area, by the experienced trafficker.
Each of the 108 boxes shipped on Wednesday, weighed a total of 40 lbs.
The lifting of the ban on the importation of mangoes will no doubt pave the way for farmers to increase their foreign exchange options and thereby improve their livelihoods.
