Review workshop of the Ivorian mango campaign 2018

On 28 November 2018, the Direction de la Protection des Végétaux, du Contrôle et de la Qualité (DPVCQ) of Côte d’Ivoire, with the support of COLEACP, organized a mango campaign review workshop. The event brought together 80 participants from across the supply chain (producers, exporters, service providers and competent authorities).

The observations shared were encouraging from a marketing and commercial point of view. Ivorian mango continues to enjoy a good image, particularly in its main export market, the European Union, where it has experienced strong growth over the past few years. More than 30,000 tonnes of Ivorian mangoes were imported by the EU in 2018 compared with 10,000 tonnes in 2010.

In 2018, although there has been a decrease in the number of interceptions of Ivorian mangoes entering the European market due to quarantine pests, the number of notifications was still high, offsetting the positive structural trend of Ivorian exports. The November workshop raised awareness of this issue among all stakeholders in the sector. They therefore decided to mobilize quickly by updating and adapting the action plan previously implemented with the support of COLEACP in 2015, when the sector faced a similar phytosanitary problem.

Another threat to Ivorian mango is the expansion of competitors, particularly Peru, whose export window is encroaching on that of Côte d’Ivoire (according to data from April and May 2018). The immediate impact has been a fall in market prices due to higher growth in supply than in demand.

Through its Fit For Market programme, COLEACP has already received 39 individual requests for intervention from Côte d’Ivoire. These requests cover diverse themes: modern management of mango orchards; implementation of business plans; access to finance; improvement of environmental and social practices; and implementation of quality management systems that meet the standards of supermarkets.

On a collective level, the workshop confirmed the need for a 2019 action plan on the SPS issue in a context where European regulations will also evolve next year and become more restrictive.

The 2019 challenges for the Ivorian sector are clear. The November workshop offered stakeholders an opportunity to understand them better and to organize themselves, with the support of COLEACP, for the coming campaign.