5 mango varieties for production

[BluePalm]

I was having a discussion with a friend regarding the often dreamed-of mango farm. If you could only grow 5 varieties to be re-sold to the public (fruit, not trees) which would you choose? Some considerations: handsome fruit, fruit not too large, heavy yields, moderate-good disease resistance, no slow-growing trees, ability to ship well.

[Squam256]

What kind of scale and production volume are we talking about?

[BluePalm]

30-100 acres+

[Tropicdude]

I have been doing tons of research on this very subject.   

it is important to know your market or what it will be.

Will they be exported into the US, Japan or Europe ?  each market has certain post harvest requirements.

If the mangoes are to be sold to local market, your choices are wider.

The mango that keeps coming up favorite in all almost every trail is the Keitt mango.

these benefits of Keitt for commercial export:

Very long shelf life
Very productive
Healthy Tree
Preferred mango shape and size.
Can be picked green, and still ripens well
Fruit quality is good-excellent.

Other varieties I am considering for export.

Osteen
Rapoza

For local,  so many potential candidates .
the idea here would be to have an extended season, so Early, Mid and late, the mangoes listed above are mid-late varieties.

Early candidates I am looking at are,  Rosigold,   and latest would be Neelam.

You need to take a look at your climate, some varieties will do better in rainy weather, than others.

In a semi arid farm with well drained soil,  using drip irrigation, you could probably grow any variety of mango with success. which is my situation.

Heavy clay, and lots of winter rain, your options will be limited.

Anyway MY list has these varieties, which may change, depending on what my market would be, it may end up being 80% of Rapoza or Osteen for export market, and rest 20% spread on all the others for local market.  or maybe I will concentrate on all early and late varieties to take advantage of off season mango prices.

Early:  Rosigold, Glenn   ( Because of earliness and quality )

Mid: Maha Chanok, Lemon Zest, and Coconut Cream. ( because of quality )

Late: Rapoza, Osteen. Neelam   ( Rapoza or Osteen, for export & local, Neelam, being  latest )

i know that some of the above varieties, may extend later or produce earlier than what is listed as its  season.

Notice I do not have Keitt,  this is out of preference, this seems to be what everyone is planting, and well I want to be the black sheep.

By the way, I do desire having a genoplasm reserve,  and have at least 1 tree of each  known good variety,  non of this would be lost profits, as these mangoes could also be sold to local market.

One more thing,  Will you be using normal density, high density or Ultra high density?  Organic or not?

On my "dream farm" I am thinking of using High density  of about 500 trees per acre ( 3 X 5 meter spacing ) more spacing for genoplasm reserve trees.




 

[fruitlovers]

I suggest:
1) Tommy Atkins
2) Tommy Atkins
3) Tommy Atkins
4) Tommy Atkins
5) Tommy Atkins

Just kidding! Just trying to put myself in the mind frame of current growers. HAHAHA

[Tropicdude]

I suggest:
1) Tommy Atkins
2) Tommy Atkins
3) Tommy Atkins
4) Tommy Atkins
5) Tommy Atkins

Just kidding! Just trying to put myself in the mind frame of current growers. HAHAHA

LOl, its funny, in many agri reports from stations, testing varieties, they sometimes still list Tommy under recommended varieties lists.  I can understand from a commercial point of view, this mango has things going for it, like, Color, firmness, color, size, shelf life, and did i mention color? 

But really these guys need to get with the times, so many varieties can take the place of TA now.

Oscar i am curious though, with your experience with Mangoes, if you could only choose 5 trees out of all those you have to sell locally which ones would you select, for taste and marketability ?

[Eekler81 tropical trail]

1. Early-   Haden
2. Mid - Kent
3. Late- Keitt
4. Mid- Alphonso
5. Mid.- NDM.   Cause it's my favorite mango



Eekler

[zands]

1. Early-   Haden
2. Mid - Kent
3. Late- Keitt
4. Mid- Alphonso
5. Mid.- NDM.   Cause it's my favorite mango



Eekler

To that list I would add Glenn for earlier than Haden and Gold Nugget for late middle. Last year Gold Nugget came in last week August.

[fruitlovers]

I suggest:
1) Tommy Atkins
2) Tommy Atkins
3) Tommy Atkins
4) Tommy Atkins
5) Tommy Atkins

Just kidding! Just trying to put myself in the mind frame of current growers. HAHAHA

LOl, its funny, in many agri reports from stations, testing varieties, they sometimes still list Tommy under recommended varieties lists.  I can understand from a commercial point of view, this mango has things going for it, like, Color, firmness, color, size, shelf life, and did i mention color? 

But really these guys need to get with the times, so many varieties can take the place of TA now.

Oscar i am curious though, with your experience with Mangoes, if you could only choose 5 trees out of all those you have to sell locally which ones would you select, for taste and marketability ?

I'd like to be able to jump to conclusions, but it's way too early for that. But that is the reason i've planted 50 varieties, so that i can in a few years come to that kind of conclusion. The recommended varieties for Hawaii right now by university and extension agent are in my opinion based on limited trials. I wanted to include some more of the Florida mangos, Asian mangos, and a few Indian mangos. Right now the ones that look like they may be promising are:
Rapoza, Florigon, Fairchild, Brook's Late, Neelam. But quite a few of the trees are still young and have not fruited. I didn't plant them all at the same time. So this list could change quite a lot in a few years.

[Mike T]

If we could plant 5 mango types with farms all in a row and compete for mango cutomers based on the quality of fruit,then some of you guys would be in strife.For diversity,quality and length of season I would plant,

Kwan (or NDM which is almost as good and smaller)
Honey Gold (or KP its mother)
Cedar Bay/Rabaul
Sam Ru Du
Ok Rung

I then would be one happening mango dude.The customers would be after me like a hive of angry bees.Best of all I' have a great selection for myself.

[Tropicdude]

Oscar

Rapoza, Florigon, Fairchild, Brook's Late, Neelam. But quite a few of the trees are still young and have not fruited. I didn't plant them all at the same time. So this list could change quite a lot in a few years

I'd like to be able to jump to conclusions, but it's way too early for that. But that is the reason i've planted 50 varieties

Obviously this is the best way to do it, because what does well in one place may not do as well or even taste the same somewhere else.  although dont think you could go wrong much with Florigon as an early and Neelam as late.  Neelam is being grown commercially, and is reported to have a good shelf life, and some disease resistance.  taste wise i have seen mixed results, some say its really sweet and wonderful, others say its only so-so.   How is brooks late? have you tried them?

@mike T

Kwan (or NDM which is almost as good and smaller)
Honey Gold (or KP its mother)
Cedar Bay/Rabaul
Sam Ru Du
Ok Rung

That Honey Gold sure is an attractive mango.

I also believe there is a potential for the specialty market.  selling boxed high quality mangoes at a premium price, is something not being done locally, at least not with mangoes yet. it has been done with Avocados. people tend to associate quality with price here on the Island, maybe its a vanity thing.
I can envision attractive blemish free colorful Maha Chanok in gift box.

http://www.fruitcellar.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSC_0001-300x195.jpg


You can have a great product, but until one has a reputation, you need a good marketing strategy.


 

[fruitlovers]

Oscar

Rapoza, Florigon, Fairchild, Brook's Late, Neelam. But quite a few of the trees are still young and have not fruited. I didn't plant them all at the same time. So this list could change quite a lot in a few years

I'd like to be able to jump to conclusions, but it's way too early for that. But that is the reason i've planted 50 varieties

Obviously this is the best way to do it, because what does well in one place may not do as well or even taste the same somewhere else.  although dont think you could go wrong much with Florigon as an early and Neelam as late.  Neelam is being grown commercially, and is reported to have a good shelf life, and some disease resistance.  taste wise i have seen mixed results, some say its really sweet and wonderful, others say its only so-so.   How is brooks late? have you tried them?

@mike T

Kwan (or NDM which is almost as good and smaller)
Honey Gold (or KP its mother)
Cedar Bay/Rabaul
Sam Ru Du
Ok Rung

That Honey Gold sure is an attractive mango.

I also believe there is a potential for the specialty market.  selling boxed high quality mangoes at a premium price, is something not being done locally, at least not with mangoes yet. it has been done with Avocados. people tend to associate quality with price here on the Island, maybe its a vanity thing.
I can envision attractive blemish free colorful Maha Chanok in gift box.



You can have a great product, but until one has a reputation, you need a good marketing strategy.


 

William, we can extend that to say that what grows well on this part of the island may not grow well on another part of the island. Just a few miles away there is a totally different climate, also soils and other conditions will be different. Florigon has been a good producer so far, probably the best producer. Problem with them is they don't have much color or taste. I find them to be a bit bland. They taste too much like a peach, and not enough like a mango, at least for me. I think lack of red blush makes them hard to compete in market with other more colorful mangos. Neelam i just noticed is also getting that skin russetting i posted about in another thread. They are very late in season and fruit for extended time, and tree is small. I haven't been able to eat enough to assess the taste yet. Just picked a bunch yesterday. Brook's late is a good mango, not spectacular in taste, but really great season extender, large fruited, and nice sized fruits, as well as disease resistant.

[BluePalm]

Thank you for all of your input. LOL at the 5 Tommy Atkins. What a beautiful crappy mango it is!

[FlyingFoxFruits]

palmer seems to be the Tommy tree that taste good.

it looks pretty and dumps out fruit.

they need to find an improved Tommy atkiins and name it tommy gun.

Thank you for all of your input. LOL at the 5 Tommy Atkins. What a beautiful crappy mango it is!

[Berto]

The most important consideration is to know who will buy your mangoes?
Who will be your customers? Are you going to sell retail or wholesale?  The name of the game is called "marketing".  You can have an outstanding mango harvest and no one will buy your mangoes.  To get premium price for your product, you need to answer the above questions!
I know of a guy that planted a large amount of Nam Doc Mai and most of his customers were of Latino descent.  He could not sell Nam Doc Mai to them.  Only recently, he reached a large Asian customer base and he is making some money now, after many years.
Think about your future customers:  Southeast Asians, Latinos, Ethnic Indians; Colombians; Dominicans; Brasilians; Cubans; Haitians;  Ohians; New Yorkers; Native Floridians; Australians....
 

[fruitlovers]

The most important consideration is to know who will buy your mangoes?
Who will be your customers? Are you going to sell retail or wholesale?  The name of the game is called "marketing".  You can have an outstanding mango harvest and no one will buy your mangoes.  To get premium price for your product, you need to answer the above questions!
I know of a guy that planted a large amount of Nam Doc Mai and most of his customers were of Latino descent.  He could not sell Nam Doc Mai to them.  Only recently, he reached a large Asian customer base and he is making some money now, after many years.
Think about your future customers:  Southeast Asians, Latinos, Ethnic Indians; Colombians; Dominicans; Brasilians; Cubans; Haitians;  Ohians; New Yorkers; Native Floridians; Australians....

Very true! Problem is most farmers know absolutely nothing about marketing. It is a totally different science from farming. Large scale farmers are best off hiring professional people to market their products. Small scale farmers have to wing it themselves and usually do a terrible job at it.

[Tropicdude]

The most important consideration is to know who will buy your mangoes?
Who will be your customers? Are you going to sell retail or wholesale?  The name of the game is called "marketing".  You can have an outstanding mango harvest and no one will buy your mangoes.  To get premium price for your product, you need to answer the above questions!
I know of a guy that planted a large amount of Nam Doc Mai and most of his customers were of Latino descent.  He could not sell Nam Doc Mai to them.  Only recently, he reached a large Asian customer base and he is making some money now, after many years.
Think about your future customers:  Southeast Asians, Latinos, Ethnic Indians; Colombians; Dominicans; Brasilians; Cubans; Haitians;  Ohians; New Yorkers; Native Floridians; Australians....

Very true! Problem is most farmers know absolutely nothing about marketing. It is a totally different science from farming. Large scale farmers are best off hiring professional people to market their products. Small scale farmers have to wing it themselves and usually do a terrible job at it.

Totally agree, when and if I ever get to start my dream farm, I intend to have a target market. it may be local, it may be export. in the US and Europe they like the big colorful mangoes.  Locally size is not that important, but sweetness is.  unlike baseball fields in the corn,  one cannot risk ones time and money on the hopes of success by telling oneself  "plant it and they will come"  so far Europe is looking to be my best option at the moment because of no need to use hot dipping and the growing market there.

[fruitlovers]

The most important consideration is to know who will buy your mangoes?
Who will be your customers? Are you going to sell retail or wholesale?  The name of the game is called "marketing".  You can have an outstanding mango harvest and no one will buy your mangoes.  To get premium price for your product, you need to answer the above questions!
I know of a guy that planted a large amount of Nam Doc Mai and most of his customers were of Latino descent.  He could not sell Nam Doc Mai to them.  Only recently, he reached a large Asian customer base and he is making some money now, after many years.
Think about your future customers:  Southeast Asians, Latinos, Ethnic Indians; Colombians; Dominicans; Brasilians; Cubans; Haitians;  Ohians; New Yorkers; Native Floridians; Australians....

Very true! Problem is most farmers know absolutely nothing about marketing. It is a totally different science from farming. Large scale farmers are best off hiring professional people to market their products. Small scale farmers have to wing it themselves and usually do a terrible job at it.

Totally agree, when and if I ever get to start my dream farm, I intend to have a target market. it may be local, it may be export. in the US and Europe they like the big colorful mangoes.  Locally size is not that important, but sweetness is.  unlike baseball fields in the corn,  one cannot risk ones time and money on the hopes of success by telling oneself  "plant it and they will come"  so far Europe is looking to be my best option at the moment because of no need to use hot dipping and the growing market there.

You're very smart to do your homework BEFORE planting. Most farmers start after they planted, already too late. Research your market. Found out how they want it, when they want it, and all the ag red tape involved. For sending to Europe you will need to contact and have good relationship to transportation companies and possibly distributors in Europe.