After two disappointing last years, mangoes are very present this season in Reunion, where farmers are experimenting with new production techniques.
American, Thai or José, the mango is always the star of tropical fruits this summer season. Good news for amateurs: the harvest, without being exceptional, is much better this year than the two previous ones, which were particularly dull according to the Chamber of Agriculture.
“It’s normal I would say, but the farmers are already happy because it’s been two years since they had harvests like this”observes Théo Saint-Martin, arboriculture advisor.
Watch the report from Réunion la 1ère:
After two bad years, mangoes are back to fruition
In Saint-Paul, near Cambaie, Claudy Robert worked well in any case. For three years, this fruit producer has been experimenting with a bioclimatic shelter to protect his mango trees from wind and fruit flies.
On its six hectares of American mango, 5,000 m2 were equipped with these nets financed by the Departmental Council, under the management of Arifel, the Reunion inter-professional fruit and vegetable association. A first on the island.
And his harvest seems much better than some of his colleagues. “It started in October, there were three flowerings this year” explains the farmer. “In October, it was tiny quantities. There, I passed the peak of production and in two weeks it will be over. The peak was a ton per day for a week” he appreciates.
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©Nina Santi
“This year there was a big flowering but in many orchards, the flowers burned” adds Claudy Robert, satisfied with the innovation he benefits from, to the point of thinking of generalizing it across the entire operation. “There is not a single mango bitten, and that solves the wind problem”he notes. The yield is even more interesting: 15 to 20 tonnes per hectare, around 25% more than before the greenhouse.
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©Nina Santi
The shelter, which also makes it possible to drastically reduce phytosanitary treatments, strongly tempts one of its colleagues, who came specially from Saint-André to see a structure which moreover complies with the precepts of sustainable agriculture.
“I'm going to try to do the same on my farm because we are affected by fruit fly, cochineal, and the harvest was not very good this year”regrets Cédric Agenor. Maybe for next year?
In the meantime, the people of Reunion can still enjoy “tropical fishing” for a few more weeks, negotiated between 8 and 10 euros per kilo on the stalls.
