As Australia celebrated the first weekend of summer and the start of the festive season, a diverse group of growers from across the country, representing all varieties of mangoes left their farms and boarded the bus to experience all the energy and excitement of mango season at the other end of the supply chain.
Mango displays scream “King of Fruits”
This was the 6th year Australian Mangoes has hosted the annual Grower Market Tour and the event attracted record grower attendance and excellent supply chain partner participation. The three-day tour gave growers the opportunity to experience the entire supply chain, giving them a real understanding of what it takes to create strong sales velocity and momentum for mangoes. The tour enabled growers to see things they had never seen before, hear things they had never heard, go behind doors they would never get to walk through and to share in conversations they would never otherwise have.
Growers boarding the bus included: Leo Skliros from Skliros Produce, Darwin; Kris Bailey and Peter Phillips from Acacia Hills Farm, Darwin; Joshua Clementson, Joe Perry, and Richard and Hani Byllaardt from Nutrano, Katherine; Jonathan and Katrina Land from LJ & N Land, Gumlu; Betty Masasso and Lorraine Stopford from Rocky Creek Orchards, Mareeba; Gloria, Ian and Scott Pershouse and Renee Heath from IH & GA Pershouse, Benaraby; Karina and Janelle Sullivan and Duncan Kirk from Sullivan Bros, Carnarvon.
The tour began on Saturday with visits to a wide range of stores including; Aldi, Coles, Costco, Harris Farm Markets, independent green grocers, Metcash/IGA and Woolworths. While the number and size of the mango displays varied from retailer to retailer one thing was indisputable— mangoes were the king of fruits!
The day was made extra special when the team at Harris Farm Markets Drummoyne surprised growers with an extraordinary long lunch featuring mangoes in every dish. The bespoke session began with a tour of the store and an overview of the company’s business model. The conversation continued over lunch, with the team sharing insights about the importance of mangoes to their operation, and their strategy for ensuring consumers see Harris Farm Markets as The Home Of Mangoes®.
Sunday was a day of great excitement as growers enthusiastically boarded the bus and headed for Bondi Beach. The annual Mango Mess-tival is our industry’s signature event and something our growers were very keen to experience. Meeting and greeting consumers, they shared their stories, their knowledge and their passion, gave tips and advice, handed out samples, and smiled for the paparazzi.
Touring N&A Fruit Distributors new ripening centre and packing facility.
The afternoon was spent visiting more stores before finishing with a behind-the- scenes presentation of the Metcash/IGA business model and the important role mangoes play within their fresh produce. Growers were given an overview of the company’s mango strategy, performance over the past three years, future aspirations, and their plans for getting there.
Monday was our final day and the group boarded the bus bright and early for a tour of the Sydney Wholesale Market giving growers the opportunity to meet and speak with wholesalers and gauge the pulse of the market. Next stop was Pacific Fruit Brokers, the new ripening and packing operation owned by mango wholesaler N&A Fruit Distributors. Ripening plays a critical role in the quality of mangoes and as growers toured the facility, they were given a comprehensive overview of the operation and its’ capability. The remainder of the day was spent in separate, behind- the-scene sessions hosted by the Business and Technical Managers of Woolworths, Aldi and Costco. Each of the retailers provided growers with an overview of their business model and an understanding of their mango marketing plans.
Tours of an Aldi distribution centre and a Costco warehouse gave growers a deeper understanding of the different styles of operation; what makes them unique, their service and quality requirements, and the receivals, order picking, dispatch and quality assessment processes.
As the weekend drew to a close our growers left Sydney engaged, excited, and exhausted. On behalf of Australian Mangoes we extend sincere thanks and appreciation to all the growers, retailers and wholesalers who participated in making our 2019 Grower Market Tour an extraordinary experience and an unforgettable mango memory!
For further details contact Treena Welch, Australian Mangoes Marketing Manager: P: 0417 001 253 E: marketing@mangoes.net.au