Jamaicans in the US in for a mango treat this weekend

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaicans in the diaspora are in for a taste of home this week with the latest shipment of local mangoes destined for the New York market.

Washington, D.C.-based distributor Jamaica Direct Distributing Company joined with Miami-based US importer Season Farm Fresh Inc. and their Jamaican export partners to bring in over 4,500 pounds of St Julian (Julie) and East Indian mangoes.

Managing director of Jamaica Direct Distributing Company Byron Wills said the decision to import the mangoes was the result of a bid to help Jamaican farmers experiencing a drastic downturn in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for Jamaican mangoes in the US.

Wills said that partnering with American importer Nicholas Bernal, who owns Season Farm Fresh Inc., both companies were instrumental in working with the Jamaican Government and farming community to bring the mangoes to the north-eastern United States, primarily the New York City and Metropolitan Washington, D.C., markets, in 2019.

Wills said that Jamaica Direct Distributing Company is committed to supplying produce to the US markets it serves and hopes that the delivery of these mangoes will “bring some delight and a sense of home” in their difficult times to the Jamaican communities in the New York City region.