Mexican Season Availability
Questions, complexity & truths, form my organic perspective
Mexico has one of the longest mango export seasons in the world, spanning nearly 10 months as production moves north along the Pacific Rim. The harvest begins in the south in late January or early February in Oaxaca and Chiapas. As the season progresses, it moves through Michoacán and Nayarit, concluding in the northern part of Sinaloa, known as Los Mochis.
Each region’s climate influences not only the availability, flavor, and quality of mango cultivars but also farmers’ planting decisions. In the humid-tropical south, Ataulfos thrive—no surprise, as they originate from Chiapas. Tommy Atkins, the most adaptable of the round mangoes, is pretty much the only round mango in the south. It does well in all regions and is planted predominantly because it withstands the hot water bath. Other commercial varieties, most of which trace their roots to subtropical Florida—including Tommy Atkins—struggle in the southern regions, which is why there is little diversity among the round varieties in the south.
Some Kents appear at the tail end of the season in Oaxaca, and more growers are experimenting with specialty varieties like Kiew Savoy, Nam Doc Mai, and Mallika. These varieties are showing promise, but reliable data remains limited, especially as shifting climate patterns continue to reshape growing conditions and outcomes. Everyone is positive though.
According to Dr. Noris Ledesma, a renowned horticulturist and tropical fruit specialist internationally recognized for her work with Mangifera species and mango cultivars, believes these tropical varieties are more resilient to shifting climate patterns and she expects them to perform well in the long run. When I interviewed her last summer for my 3 Minute Mango Expertise segments during Mango Mania, we discussed how more growers are following the lead of the Crespo’s and planting these varieties.
In that same segment, Dr. Ledesma and I agreed on one critical point—it’s not enough to simply grow these varieties. Consumer education is key. This is something I’ve been spearheading for several seasons, both on the culinary side and in broader commodity education.
The Crespo’s—specifically Jorge, aka The Mango Man—have been developing a range of specialty varieties in his trial line which we will continue to present in our opulent Mango Queen line, alongside our existing three specialty varietals (Mallika, Nam Doc Mai and Kiew Savoy). New varietals will roll out at different points of the season as we refine the hot water bathing process for each and gain deeper insights into their cultivation.
Despite crops in various growing regions, we will continue to have a focus on peak summer, when demand is at its highest and consumers are more open to trying new things. This strategic timing helps mitigate the risks of introducing new varieties, a process that requires patience, learning, and commitment from those of us at the heart of it.
To shift back to the broader Mexican season— as it progresses northward through Guerrero, Michoacán, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Sinaloa, the availability of varieties changes. On the organic side, Guerrero and Jalisco contribute little to no volume, while Michoacán’s production continues to decline each year.
Historically, Michoacán was known for its abundant Haden mangoes (my personal favorite), but their prevalence has diminished, likely due to climate change making this already small mango even smaller—think 12/14cnts. For the organic market, these sizes translate to lower returns for growers, prompting many to transition to Kent and Tommy Atkins of the last several years.
In the northern regions of Nayarit and Sinaloa, Kent and Tommy Atkins are equally prolific. Nayarit is the first major organic-producing region where Kents appear, usually around late May, (aside from a small amount in Oaxaca). However, timing has become harder to predict due to shifting climate patterns affecting fruit readiness. The last several years of the transition north has caused a lot of problems for all of us.
Keitt mangoes are widely recognized (and coveted) , but their role as a late-season varietal is less understood. They appear at the tail end of each regions harvest, and in Mexico peak production happens in Nayarit and Sinaloa. Because these regions’ seasons overlap, it can seem like Keitts are more abundant than they actually are. In reality, three distinct harvest waves occur in a short timeframe, marking the final stage of each region’s production. Since Keitts typically follow Kents, they are known as the mangoes that close out both regional harvests and the Mexican season as a whole.
The Mexican mango season typically concludes in mid to late September, sometimes extending all the way into October, with the northernmost region of Los Mochis in Sinaloa (a non-hot water bath zone) providing the final harvests. This entire northward progression of the Mexican crop ensures a continuous supply of fresh mangoes, each variety bringing its unique flavor and texture to the table, but each varietal limited to a specific time/region in the season as a whole!
Here is a bit more detail per varietal.
Ataulfo Mangoes
The season kicks off in Oaxaca in mid to late January, with Chiapas following shortly after. Peak production in the southern regions occurs in March and April, followed by a second peak in May and June as the harvest moves up the coast into Nayarit and Sinaloa. The season typically wraps up by mid-July, though it can extend through the end of the month for programs capable of moving riper mangoes quickly. Selective harvesting at the tail end helps extend availability.
Tommy Atkins Mangoes
The Tommy Atkins season in Mexico begins in Oaxaca and Chiapas in early February, shortly after Ataulfos. As the harvest moves north, production continues through all major growing regions, including Michoacán and Nayarit, before reaching its northernmost point in Sinaloa. Unlike other varieties, Tommy Atkins is grown in every major mango-producing region except Los Mochis, likely because it is highly resistant to the hot water treatment required for export— a process that isn’t needed in Mochis.
Peak availability occurs from late March through July, with the last harvests wrapping up in early to mid-August. Its widespread production and long season make it one of the most consistent and reliable mangoes in Mexico’s supply chain. Thanks to its durability and ability to handle transport, Tommy Atkins remains a dominant variety throughout the season, ensuring steady availability for both domestic and export markets.
Kent Mangoes
Kent mangoes thrive in Michoacán, Nayarit, and Sinaloa but are scarce in the south, with only a few plots in Oaxaca. The variety starts appearing in Michoacán by May, peaking in Nayarit and Sinaloa from June through August. Sinaloa’s extended growing season allows Kents to flourish, making it the region where the final waves of Mexico’s mango production take place. Kent mangoes are a predominant varietal in Mexico’s dried sector. Baja is also a large Kent producing region, although most of the production stays regional or is put into dried mangoes.
Haden Mangoes
Once the dominant variety in Michoacán, Haden mangoes have declined in volume over the years, partly due to climate shifts impacting fruit size and yields. While still grown, they now play a smaller role in Mexico’s mango production. Hadens typically appear in late March and April before giving way to Kents as the season moves north.
Keitt Mangoes
Keitt mangoes are strictly a late-season variety and are not grown in the southern regions. Their production begins in Nayarit and ends in Sinaloa, where they thrive in hot, dry conditions. Keitts are typically available from late July through September, marking the final stage of Mexico’s mango season. They are also a predominant variety in Mexico’s dried mango sector.
Specialty Mangoes (Nam Doc Mai, Mallika, Kiew Savoy)
These unique mangoes are grown primarily in the orbit of El Grupo Crespo. Roberto Crespo Fitch was after all the first to plant Thai mango trees gifted by a client, they were exporting mangoes to—long before restrictions on moving plants were in place. Most of these varieties are not yet widely found in Mexico’s larger commercial mango production. But they are literally what the latest buzz is.
Crespo Organic has been at the forefront of this effort, with the Crespo family, led by Jorge, not only planting the trees but also refining and sharing production processes in the way growers do—an approach more producers are now adopting. On the consumer and culinary education side (and yes, I’ll toot my own horn here!), I believe our work has been instrumental in introducing these varieties to consumers. The investment in these specialty mangoes has been significant, but it’s clear to all of us that this is the future of mangoes.
Download the Interactive Season Long Promo Guide
