MANGOES SWEETER THAN YOU THINK (full version)

MANGOES SWEETER THAN YOU THINK

Mangoes are a top earner of income for the Republic of Cote d`Ivoire. In fact, the crop is the country`s third largest export fruit, after the pineapple and the banana. That means Cote d`Ivoire has understood the message that food crops should be prioritized over cash crops because while cash crops are grown only for sale, food crops – on the other hand – can either be sold or consumed at home.

Some months ago, Côte d`Ivoire showcased the mango fruit through a festival: The Mango Festival.  The event was organized by the Regional Association of Mango Exporters. Over the years the country`s mango producers have benefitted from assistance provided by the PPDEA project, better known in French as the Projet de Promotion et the Diversification des Exportations Agricoles. The PPDEA is funded by the government of Canada and comes with further assistance in the form of new varieties of the crop, as well as quantitative and qualitative enhancement.