L&M Cos. Inc. in Raleigh, NC, has been dabbling in mangos for the past decade, but the firm has recently made a strategic decision to make mangos one of its core product lines.

“We will have 300 percent more volume this year than last and expect to grow significantly again next year,” said Juan Torres, L&M’s business development manager based in the company’s Weslaco, TX, office.

J&C Tropicals in Miami expects to sell significantly more mangos this year over last year, due both to an increase in its Mexican supplies and the increased popularity of its locally grown Florida mangos.

After a difficult 2010 season hurt by the devastating January earthquake, Haitian mango producers have bounced back this year with a good-sized crop.

Ronnie Cohen, one of the partners at Vision Import Group in River Edge, NJ, has a vision. He sees a time in the future when mangos will sell at retail in the same volume and velocity as bananas. Bananas have long been not only the top tropical fruit in the produce department, but the top produce item overall.

In recent years, several other items — including bagged lettuce and strawberries — have competed for domination of the U.S. produce department, and Mr. Cohen thinks mangos can be in the same race.

The Crisantes family has long been a player in the production of Mexican produce for U.S. consumption, and for the past decade, it has focused its attention on the organic sector. And over the last several years, that has included a significant increase in its offerings of organic mangos.

Stemilt Growers Inc., headquartered in Wenatchee, WA, will again offer 100 percent organic peach and nectarine crops in 2011. “We feel like we’re going to have a good crop,” said Director of Marketing Roger Pepperl. “The peaches and nectarines set well.”