2003 NT Mango Season Information

The 2003 Top End mango season finished in the first week of December. NT mangoes were in peak production for only three weeks in late October and early November, partly because Katherine and Darwin fruit matured at almost exactly the same time as predicted in the crop forecast.

The final total production was equivalent to approximately 1.25 million trays, about 70% of 2002 season. There was a significant amount of this fruit sent in bulk boxes. Quality was generally good as the rains only affected the last week of the main harvest. Prices were also generally higher reflecting the reduced supply of fruit.

Industry Development Officer

David Hamilton Phone: 8999 2306 - Fax: 8999 2049 Email: david.hamilton@nt.gov.au

Mango Supply Chain Study Tour

At the end of the mango harvest, Julie Bird and Megan Connelly, Horticulture Extension Officers from DBIRD along with eight Territory growers visited the southern produce markets. Five of the growers were from Katherine, two from Darwin and one from Ti Tree.

They were looking to gain a greater understanding of how the different components of the supply chain affect their fruit quality and subsequently their profitability. The growers were able to observe territory mangoes at each stage of the supply chain from the unloader at the market through to the consumer.

Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane markets were all visited along with distribution centres, retail outlets and Horticulture Australia Limited.

The growers were able to obtain knowledge first hand from many of the people associated with the supply chain including unloaders, agents, buyers, distributors, and retail store managers. They were also able to talk to consumers in the retail stores about their buying preferences.

The growers were all visiting the markets for the first time and were amazed at the sheer volume of product on the floor. Quality becomes more of an issue when there is so much competition out there. They also noticed the weak points in the cool chain and came to realise the importance of removing field heat from the fruit before transportation. The linkages between pre-harvest practices and the final product were also emphasised.

Each of the growers gained knowledge that they will be able to use back in their orchards to improve their fruit quality and profitability. Those growers who have never visited the southern produce markets should think about making the effort to see what happens to their fruit once it leaves the farm gate.

At the end of the 2003 mango harvest, Julie Bird and Megan Connelly, Horticulture Extension Officers from DBIRD, along with eight Territory growers visited the southern produce markets.

Analysis of 2003 Mango Season - Against the November Forecast

The 2003 NT Mango Crop Timing Forecast successfully predicted the start times, the production pattern for Darwin (view graph) and Katherine (view graph) regions and the end of harvest.

The forecast was used by, growers, packers, labour providers, transporters, wholesalers and retailers to more effectively plan and coordinate this season.

There was a significant amount of Katherine fruit (50,000-100,000 trays) packed in Darwin but this didn't change the shape of the seasonal outputs from either region.

The later flowering in Darwin did eventuate into a reasonable amount of fruit. This fruit matured very quickly in the hot conditions of September, October and November.

The late Katherine fruit matured up to 7 days faster than normal due to the hot conditions there late in the season. It also proved the value of recalculating the forecast every month through to 1 November to account for the unusual weather conditions.

The Horticulture Division wishes to thank all the growers and packers that contributed to the forecast through the flowering surveys and the contribution of mango flow figures during the season. It is because of the wide participation that the forecast becomes more accurate each year. We look forward to working with even more growers next year.

Heat Units for Mango Harvest

In recent years the Department has provided growers with a very useful tool for predicting when mangoes may be ready for harvest. The use of Heat Sums allows growers to make fairly accurate decisions on when to start dry matter testing their fruit and aids in predicting harvest dates. A combination of heat units, dry matter levels and internal colour will give the grower the best indications of when harvest should commence.

Heat units work on the basis that the fruit needs a certain amount of degrees temperature to enable it to mature. By finding out the amount of heat (daily maximum and minimum temperatures) the developing fruit has been exposed to and applying the correct formula it is possible to predict when the mangoes are ready for harvest.

Predicted heat units use the historical mean monthly averages (that have been collected over several decades) to calculate when dry matter testing should commence. As this is such a large database over several years it is a fairly good indicator for the growers. Real date values replace the historical values as this season's temperatures are recorded and may change harvest times slightly.

The grower can then match the flowering date to a date when the fruit will be ready for harvest. The table published in the press advises growers when they should be testing for maturity. The dry matter or internal color tests are essential for picking mature fruit.

Heat sum tables will be published in the Litchfield Times and the Katherine Times and updated fortnightly as the season progresses. The department will also be working on a Crop Forecast for 2004 using heat sums and flowering surveys.

Greg Owens
Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development

Market Prices for NT Mangoes

• Melbourne Market for 2003
• Sydney Market for 2003
• Brisbane Market for 2003
• Adelaide Market for 2003
• Mango Prices for the 2002 Season

Data from the Ausmarket Consultants Australian Mango Report, sponsored by AMCOR.

Daily Mango Prices for all Markets (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth) are available at Ausmarket's Infocall (Fax-back) Service on 1902 262 580 or visit their web site: www.ausmarket.net.au/

Email: info@ausmarket.net.au

Labour Harvest Strategy

Oz-Jobs, a Division of the IMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd has been awarded the tender to provide harvest labour service to the Darwin and Katherine areas. Oz-Jobs will assist growers to meet their peak harvest labour needs by providing a single point of contact for growers and job seekers. This free service enables growers to register their vacancies on a daily basis. Oz-Jobs can be contacted on 1300 720 126 or visit their web site at: www.goharvest.com

Road Transport Contacts for the 2003 Mango Season

Endorsed Wholesalers 2003

List of Endorsed Wholesalers NTMIA have endorsed for the 2003 Mango Season.[more]

Interstate Certification Assurance Scheme

Interstate Certification Assurance (ICA) is a system of plant health certification based on quality management principles. [more]