Importers and Retailers are invited to participate
The National Mango Board (NMB) is focused on training and education in 2009 to improve mango handling practices, enhance mango quality and boost mango movement at retail. As part of this strategy, the NMB will host a Mango Handling Best Practices Webinar on March 17, 2009.
UC-Davis to Host Webinar
This online/teleconference training opportunity will be hosted by the UC-Davis Post Harvest Technology Institute, and presented by the NMB and its post-harvest research team. Topics will include:
o Mango handling basics including the mango’s journey from tree to consumer and key areas for improvement based on the NMB’s supply chain evaluation project;
o Assessment of mango quality by as it relates to maturity/ripeness and eating quality, using tools to measure quality and examining cultivar differences; and
o Best practices for mango handling at the warehouse, distribution center and retail levels by minimizing physical damage, managing temperatures, humidity and maintaining displays.
The NMB is encouraging anyone who handles mangos here in the U.S. to participate in the Webinar, including mango importers, wholesalers and brokers; retail distribution center and quality assurance experts; and retail buyers, category managers and merchandisers.
Webinar Details
The Mango Handling Best Practices Webinar will take place Tuesday, March 17, 2009 at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST, and will run for 60 to 90 minutes. Space is limited and reservations are required. Interested parties should register by contacting Megan McKenna at mmckenna@mango.org or via phone at 407-629-7318 x105. Dial-in/log-in information will be distributed several days before the event to all who register. The Webinar format allows all participants to phone into a conference line and log into a Web site simultaneously, so they can hear the presenters and view the presentation in real time. The webinar will be presented in English only.
Supply Chain Evaluation Provides Foundation for Training
Over the past 18 months, the NMB has worked with a research team made up of produce experts from the University of Florida and the University of California-Davis, along with several well-known consultants to monitor and evaluate the entire mango supply chain. Members of the team visited five different mango producing countries throughout the year to evaluate mango export handling operations and to conduct mango shipping trails on certain shipments. Team members evaluated those same shipments upon arrival in the U.S. and monitored retail mango displays in Florida and California to understand the quality of mangos being offered to consumers at retail throughout the year. The findings from this extensive research project will be the foundation for the Mango Best Management Practices Manual, which will cover each stage of the mango supply chain and will be published this spring. The portion of the manual covering handling from the importer to the retailer will be covered in this Mango Handling Best Practices Webinar.
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About National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor.
Mango consumption per capita has quadrupled since 1990 to an estimated 2.2 pounds per year in 2007. Mango import volume for 2007 was 661 million pounds, 3 percent more than 2006 and 15 percent more than 2005. According to Consumer Research commissioned by the National Mango Board, 35% of U.S. customers purchased mangos within the past 6 months. Learn more at www.mango.org
Publication date: 2/26/2009
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