Do you know you can make cool money exporting mango? Even if you don’t want to go the exporting route, you can still make money selling the products here in Nigeria or within your local environment.
Mango is known as the “king of fruits” throughout the world. The name “mango” is derived from the Tamil word “mangkay” or “man-gay.” Over the years, the demand for mangoes arising from the quest for better health amongst Europeans and the non-alcoholic dietary of Middle East and Arab nationals have been on the increase. A recent market survey on fresh fruits conducted by the International trade Center Geneva Switzerland revealed that the volume of trade in mango fruit and juices was well over five thousand million dollars ($5,000m) annually.
Mangoes are grown in 85 countries and 63 countries with over 20 million metric tons of mangoes grown throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world, with developing countries accounting for about 98% of total production.. Nigeria still occupies the 8th position in the world ranking of mango producing countries as at 2006. The main producing states in the country include Benue, Jigawa, Plateau, Yobe, kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Taraba and FCT.
Nigeria has greater potentials over other world suppliers of tropical mangoes. This is in terms of the year round favorable agricultural and climate conditions. The obviously high input cost is usually most compensated by the steady rise of export mangoes. The prices of the various grades of mangoes, single, concentrate and slice; ranges between $700 and $2,200 per ton. The price is still rising. Moreover several other food and drug derivatives like marmalade, jam, flavors , syrup, juice and drinks are sourced from mango
Mango is highly medicinal. In fact, every part of the mango is beneficial and has been utilized in folk remedies in some form or another. Whether the bark, leaves, skin or pit; all have been concocted into various types of treatments or preventatives down through the centuries. A partial list of the many medicinal properties and purported uses attributed to the mango tree are as follows: Anti-viral; Anti-parasitic; Anti-septic; Anti-tussive (cough); Anti-asthmatic; Expectorant; Cardio-tonic; Contraceptive; Aphrodisiac; Hypotensive; Laxative; Stoma chic (beneficial to digestion).
Types of Mangoes: Mangoes has been classified into such wide known types as Alphonso, Amelia,, Apple Haden, Kent, Ruby and Julie. Findings indicated that all the types thrive and yield highly under the prevalent agricultural and climatic conditions of Nigeria. In the northern parts of Nigeria, some beautiful species are as big as “human head”
How to get started as a mango exporter
Interested Nigerians are advised to register with the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Being a member will allow you to get the addresses of the foreign buyers, they also conduct regular workshops for Nigerians who are interested in exporting Nigerian products and commodities. It is also important that you have a mango exporting business plan on hand for your own good; to help you know what to expect.
Business Opportunities for Small Scale Investors
As a small scale investor, you can be part of this opportunity by selling these mangoes in small quantity to the real exporter. You can later gather enough experience to start exporting into the foreign markets. In Nigeria, big fruits drinks manufacturers like FUNMAN DRINKS and CHIVITA, irrespective of the fact that they have their own local mango plantation, they still patronize local distributors. A single retail outlet or two is not enough to make your time worthwhile. Look into how buyers work and make contacts in the larger retail chains if you have retail merchandise.
Packaging mangoes for export
The mango is harvested half ripe. The fruits are then packed for export. The necessity is found in the stringent standard stipulated by international food law on imported food, especially in Europe and America. However, consumers in the foreign Countries prefer mangoes that ripen into deep yellow even when imported with traces of green. Foreign distributors prefer mangoes weighing between 225grammes and 400grammes.
Preservation: Fruits are enjoyed in their natural freshness, but to prolong their shelf life, various preservation methods are available to the exporter. However, the most favored method is by freezing. The fruits after packaging are frozen to desirable hardness at appropriate but low temperature. The greatest advantage of this method is that the fruits retain its original colors and flavor. It may also be stored for relatively long periods.
Export mango can also be preserved by a process that entails washing, inspection and storing either or partially processed (e.g.: halved, quartered, sliced, destined, pulped, peeled) into sealed drums, barrels, or other appropriate containers. The fruits are then mixed with preservatives solutions such as brine, Sulphur oxide gas (SO2), Sulphur water or other approved solutions. When stored this way, the mango is preserved for months. Though the mango may loss its color, its sweet taste is not affected
Packaging procedure: Packaging is preferred in fiberboard cartons that weigh minimum of six kilograms net. The mangoes are better wrapped in tissue paper, packed woodwork or synthetic fiber packs. These packing and packaging procedures are to check the possibility of bruise
To ship your products, you need the services of the freight forwarders: A freight forwarder is a person who takes care of the important steps of shipping the merchandise. This person quotes shipping rates, provides routing information, and books cargo space. Freight forwarders prepare documentation, contract shipping insurance, route cargo with the lowest customs charges, and arrange storage. They are valuable to you and you will need their service to export your mango to the foreign Countries. They are important in handling the steps from factory to final destination.
The mode of transportation: You can transport your consignment by sea. However, to ensure that the export mango reaches its foreign destination pure and fresh, there is need to transport it by air. Air freighting is quicker and more flexible. Mango export to United Kingdom is busiest between the months of May and September every year
Where to find help: You can start by establishing a good business relationship with a local bank that handles international business. Your personal banker will follow through on the actual foreign transactions, and will help keep your credit afloat. In fact, that is one of the best factors about an export business. Aside from office supplies and correspondence, or possible business trips, you need no personal cash outlay. All you need is good credit and a good reputation.
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