Mastering Mango Handling:
Elevating Sri Lanka’s Mango Quality for
Local and Export Markets

In Sri Lanka, where many different kinds of mangoes grow well, farmers have a good chance of marketability both in Sri Lanka and other countries. But there’s a problem: a lot of mangoes get spoiled or damaged after they are picked, and before they reach the stores. This happens because these are not handled properly from the farm to the retailer, when they are being picked, packed, moved, or stored. In fact, about one-third of the mangoes become unmarketable from the farm to the retailer. Even the ones that do not get lost often do not look good or taste very good. Therefore, they can’t be sold as goodquality fruit, both in Sri Lanka and abroad. This loses a great economic benefit for the farmer and the other stakeholders economically and it is also unfavourable for the environment. To solve this problem, we need to recognise the root causes and find solutions to make the situation better. Therefore, this brief tries to recognise unfavourable handling practices as root causes that affect the loss and suggest possible solutions to overcome them.