Senegalese mangoes to receive export boost
With support from ITC, Senegal today launched a project to boost the productivity, processing capacity, and export market diversification of its mango industry. The project is Senegal’s first ‘tier 2’ project under the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), a multi-agency initiative aimed at helping developing countries use trade to drive growth and development.
To implement the project, ITC worked closely with Senegal’s National Implementation Unit for the EIF, as well as the Senegalese Agency for Export Promotion (ASEPEX) and other partner institutions.
With nearly 15 000 tons exported, Senegal ranks second among West African countries. However there is still considerable potential for greater value addition and better marketing.
ITC Executive Director Arancha González, who spoke at the launch ceremony, said her agency was particularly committed to the joint ITC-Senegal project. “In addition to the excellent quality of Senegalese mangoes, the country has a long export season and an optimal location: its main market, the European Union, is only six hours away by plane and barely six days away by boat. At the same time, the fast-growing markets of the Americas and the rest of North Africa and the Middle East are also within reach.”
The mango market, which has registered average annual growth of 8% since 2008, offers many opportunities for Senegalese horticultural exporters, especially if they can move up the value chain:
- An air-freighted mango destined for high-end consumers in search of freshness sells for 5 to 10 times more than a mango shipped by boat.
- Growth in the organic mango market segment is two to three times faster in Europe. Growth in this sector is also rapid in North America, and new markets are emerging in Asia.
- Less ripe and fleshier mangoes are perfect for processing: into canned fruit salads, juice, jam or pulp. North Africa is the world’s leading consumer of mango puree.
For the full text (in French) of ITC ED González’s speech, please click here.
