A steady supply of quality mangoes is expected this season; the harvest gets underway in North Queensland. Growers in the Burdekin and Bowen regions started picking this week, with Dimbulah and Mareeba growers set to join them in the coming weeks.

Last year, a glut of mangoes drove the prices down for growers due to a clash in output between northern growing regions. According to Ben Martin from Martos Mangoes, this year the harvest would be spaced out in the regions, which will be a win-win for growers and consumers.

“There doesn’t seem to be the large volume of Kensington Prides around as last year, which should keep the prices up a bit, however consumers will be getting great quality mangoes,” Martin said. “We had a clash between the growing regions last year, which meant there was an oversupply of fruit. This year the Katherine fruit has almost been picked… it all looks like it will flow from one region onto the next so there will be a good steady supply of mangoes for the whole season.”

Martin said that the trees that were battered in the Bowen region during Cyclone Debbie last year, were starting to come back and Bowen-Burdekin growers would continue to pick for the next four to five weeks.

Mareeba grower and Australian Mango Industry Association deputy chairman John Nucifora said Dimbulah growers would start picking in two weeks, with Mareeba growers starting in early December. The season will continue until March.

Northqueenslandregister.com.au reported on Nucifora saying that more than 10 million trays of mangoes were produced Australia wide last year, with Mareeba growers producing about 2.5 million trays. He said he expected there would be a similar yield this year.