National Mango Board elects new officers and wraps up successful year

Note from David: excellent model of mango cluster in the USA

The National Mango Board (NMB) held its November board meeting in Orlando, Florida where budgets and programs for 2009 were approved and officers were elected. The NMB eagerly looks forward many exciting efforts in 2009 and is already hard at work on programs for the first quarter of the new year.

The National Mango Board elected their officers for 2009, including: Isabel Freeland, Chair, Coast Tropical Distributors, San Diego, CA ; John-Campbell Barmmer, Vice Chair, Chestnut Hill Farms, Miami, FL; Sue Duleba, Treasurer, GM Produce Sales, Hidalgo, TX; and Bonifacio Bustamante Hernandez, Secretary, CC Tropicales SA de CV, Escuinapa, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Throughout 2008, the NMB made great strides in their outreach efforts to the mango industry. In total, the NMB conducted 12 industry outreach meetings in 2008, visiting each of the top five mango-exporting countries to the U.S. at least once, along with each major entry port in the U.S. In addition to these meetings, the NMB hosted a mango industry event in conjunction with the PMA Fresh Summit in October. Approximately 150 mango industry members networked and learned about NMB activities through a brief presentation plus a question and answer session. These meetings allow the NMB to hear feedback directly from mango industry members, and to ensure that both producers and importers understand how the NMB is investing their funds. Feedback to these meetings has been overwhelmingly positive and the NMB plans to continue this program in 2009.

With all of the exciting programs that happen throughout the year, the NMB strives to keep all members abreast of the progress. The Mango Connection is the monthly NMB email newsletter for the mango industry. This bi-lingual newsletter has become pivotal in sharing mango information with the industry and is now reaching over 700 subscribers. Industry members who would like to receive the Mango Connection can sign up on www.mango.org in the industry section.

Another tool used by the NMB to keep industry members informed is the web site at www.mango.org. The industry section is presented in English or Spanish, and is packed with information and resources designed to let industry members know what the NMB is doing and to provide tools and resources that industry members can use to build their mango business.

Exciting programs are in place for 2009, including marketing efforts to consumer, retail and foodservice audiences plus a broad spectrum of research programs designed to help the mango industry. With the new slate of officers in place to guide the NMB and the industry outreach program going strong, the mango industry can rest assured that 2009 will be a very exciting year and that they will be well informed.

Publication date: 1/7/2009

www.mango.org