Annual mango competition heats up as Axarquía harvest reaches peak

As the annual mango harvest in Malaga province's Axarquía reaches its peak, growers have started to compete for who has grown the largest fruit. So far this year a 1.46-kilo Osteen mango, grown by Carmen Fernández, in the Vélez-Málaga village of Triana is leading the scoreboard, although competition is fierce and growers have until 30 September to enter.

The ‘King of the Mango’ competition started last year and when growers started to post photos along with the weight of their fruit on social media channels and in particular the Facebook page ‘Triana Corazón de la Axarquía’.

The photograph leaves little doubt as to its size. The fruit practically fills the hands of the person holding it and the scales show one kilo and 460 grams. The organisers say that the weight was checked and verified before provisionally proclaiming Carmen as the new leader. "We have a new King of the Mango!’ the page announced after receiving the images.

However, as the competition will remain open until 30 September Carmen's mango could be toppled from the top spot. The competition only accepts the Osteen variety of mango and to take part, entrants must weigh the fruit, photograph it so that the result is clearly visible and send the image to the organisers. The weight will then be checked via video call or in person.

Organisers say that Carmen's mango has beaten the previous record set by Javier Quero, although they do not specify in the press release exactly how much that fruit weighed. At the start of September, the competition was led by Daniela Ruiz, from Vélez-Málaga, with a mango weighing 1.261 kilos, followed by Antonio Jesús Polilla from Benamargosa, with one weighing 1.191. In the last few hours, new contenders have joined the race. Juan Antonio, from Finca del Canastero, has submitted a mango weighing 1,191 grams and Daniel, from El Trapiche, with another weighing 1,209 grams.

There is also a prize on offer; the final winner will receive a hamper of gourmet products from the Axarquía and a ticket for the Christmas Lottery.

However, Carmen's is not the largest mango recorded in recent years in the Axarquía. In September 2025, SUR reported on some truly giant mangoes grown during a particularly favourable growing season. Carlos Martín from Frigiliana showed off an Osteen weighing 2,253 grams at the time, while others of the same variety weighing close to two kilos appeared on social media.

Even larger that year were some specimens of the Keitt variety, which is not included in the current competition. A farmer from Triana managed to harvest one weighing 2,823.5 grams, while Eduardo Ariza from Nerja presented another weighing 2,147 grams and David Ruiz, from Vélez-Málaga, grwe one weighing 2,005 grams. In fact it was this series of photographs that sparked calls on social media for a formal competition to be organised in the Axarquía.

The search for the ‘King of Mangoes’ also coincides with the peak weeks of the mango harvest. The Spanish Tropical Fruit Association has raised this year’s harvest forecast to around 40,000 tonnes, after an estimate of just 30,000 tonnes was put forward at the start of the summer. Quality remains, however, the main concern. “Quality is our greatest strength,” the association’s president, José María López, recently argued, while urging caution against premature harvesting.

The world record for the heaviest mango certified by Guinness World Records weighed 4.25 kilos and was grown in Boyacá, Colombia, in 2020.