Comparing the mango with other competing fruits at the Spanish marketplace: results from a consumer panel.
Calatrava J., Gonzalez-Roa M. C., Guirado E.
Author Affiliation: Department of Agricultural Economics, CID.A. Granada, Spain.
Acta Horticulturae : 849-860
Abstract : The mango is increasingly present on Spanish markets as a semi-conventional fruit with reducing levels of consumption. It accounts for more than 4000 tons, coming both from domestic supplies and imports from various countries. The Spanish supply of mangoes comes between mid-July and late-November when the market is supplied with late summer and autumn sweet fruits (peach, melon, banana, watermelon, etc.) with which the mango has to compete. A consumer panel was organized in 1989 to: (a) determine external aspect preferences between mango cultivars; (b) perform taste-test analysis of different mango cultivars and other competing fruits. Results for objectives (a) and (b) have been already published. This paper analyses results for (c). Consumers were asked to compare the taste of the preferred mango cultivar in (a) (different for each consumer) with alternative well-known fruits familiar to Spanish consumers, in two ways: (1) identifying the fruit (if any) the flavour or taste of which the consumer is reminded of when tasting the mango; and (2) scoring, in order of preference, the mango and different sweet fruits in a comparative scale. While fruits such as the melon, late peach, and bananas are highly appreciated by Spanish consumers, results show possibilities for increasing mango consumption in Spain during the July-November season, and allow for the design of promotional strategies to this end.