Major food chains Coles and Woolworths have stopped buying mangoes from Western Australia's Ord Valley because of a drop in fruit quality. A wet October has caused some post-harvest diseases and Ord growers are now getting prices as low as $10 a tray.
Wholesaler John Mercer says the big supermarkets are getting more mangoes in from the Northern Territory, so they can meet demand and guarantee quality. "Unfortunately the major customers have got very strict requirements in quality, and if they can't meet those qualities, they will find fruit from somewhere else, which is quite correct," he said.
"So this less quality fruit (from the Ord) goes to the general marketplace and ends up in weekend markets and growers markets, where they don't get the good prices."
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