Sustainable export supply chains for Calypso mango to China

Project locations: Brisbane, Sydney, Katherine, Mataranka, Litchfield Shire, Mareeba, Dimbulah, Ayr

Project partners: Perfection Fresh Australia Pty Ltd ; The University of Queensland ; Qld Dept. Agriculture and Fisheries

Project summary and impacts

Sustainable export supply chains for Calypso® mango to China explored how northern Australia’s mango industry could reliably access premium export markets by improving fruit quality across the supply chain. Using Calypso® mangoes as a commercial case study, the project worked with growers, exporters and researchers to identify the causes of quality losses from orchard through to Chinese retail markets.

Real-time monitoring revealed that long transit times, inadequate cooling and inconsistent harvest maturity were compromising export performance, while targeted research identified practical solutions to reduce internal fruit disorders. Improvements to logistics, handling protocols and orchard management significantly reduced fruit losses and increased export readiness.

The project also drove direct investment in improved cooling infrastructure and built new technical capability across the industry. While focused on the China market, the findings provide valuable guidance for the broader Australian mango industry seeking to expand premium horticultural exports into Asia.

Online publications:

Susceptibility of vapour heat-treated “B74” mango fruit to internal disorders and mineral nutrient composition: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304423825000640 

Fruit sorting based on maturity reduces internal disorders in vapor heat-treated ‘B74’ mango: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/12/1257

Impact of fruit maturity on internal disorders in vapor heat-treated mango Cv. ‘B74’: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5472

Internal disorders of mango fruit and their management – physiology, biochemistry, and the role of mineral nutrients: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/18/2596

Impact of factors contributing to internal disorders of mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit – A systematic literature review: https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024ScHor.33113150U/abstract

Fruit maturity and vapour heat treatment influence ‘flesh cavity with white patches’ disorder in ‘Calypso™’ mango: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370357283_Fruit_maturity_and_vapour_heat_treatment_influence_%27flesh_cavity_with_white_patches%27_disorder_in_%27Calypso%27_mango

Mineral nutrition and internal defects in vapour heat treated mango fruit: https://era.dpi.qld.gov.au/id/eprint/9577/