Mango production in Los Cabos will fall by nearly 50% this season, with roughly 5,000 of the 10,000 tons projected for the current cycle expected to go unharvested. The Secretariat of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Agricultural Development (SEPADA) of Baja California Sur blamed the decline on sooty mold, a fungus triggered by aphid and whitefly infestations, along with an unusually warm winter that disrupted flowering cycles.
Fungal Outbreak Hits All Growing Areas
The mango harvest shortfall affects all 1,450 hectares under cultivation in the Los Cabos municipality. The hardest-hit communities are Santiago and Miraflores, which together account for more than half the planted area. Las Cuevas and San José del Cabo are also affected.
Sooty mold thrives on the honeydew secreted by aphids and whiteflies, coating leaves and fruit in a dark fungal layer that blocks sunlight and weakens trees. The warm winter compounded the problem by disrupting the normal flowering timeline, reducing the volume of fruit that set on the trees.
Recovery This Season Unlikely
SEPADA Director José Bermúdez confirmed his agency is coordinating fungal treatment efforts with federal plant health authorities. He acknowledged, however, that the season is too far advanced to recover lost production. An economic impact assessment for the southern BCS agricultural sector is underway.
The Los Cabos mango season typically runs from May through September. Popular varieties grown in the region include the Ataulfo, prized for its buttery texture and honey-like sweetness.
Part of a Wider Trend Across Mexico
The BCS shortfall fits a broader pattern of mango production challenges across Mexico this year. Industry reports from early May noted that delayed flowering pushed back harvest timelines in southern states like Chiapas and Oaxaca. In Sinaloa, Mexico’s largest mango-producing state, growers reported a 60% production drop last season due to drought. National supply reductions are expected to push mango prices higher from May through September.
For shoppers at Los Cabos markets and grocery stores, locally grown mangoes will be scarcer this summer. Prices at roadside stands in Santiago and Miraflores, where residents and visitors typically buy directly from growers, are likely to rise.
The story was first reported by the Gringo Gazette.