Mexico has exported mamey to the United Kingdom for the first time, opening a new European market for the sweet tropical fruit grown in southern Yucatán and elsewhere in Mexico.

This week’s inaugural shipment — about two tonnes from Huertas Magaña, an orchard in the municipality of Akil, Yucatán — marks the culmination of more than two years of work to meet Britain’s strict phytosanitary requirements. “It’s quite a complicated job,” said Julio Magaña, marketing manager of Huertas Magaña. “Part of it is getting there, which is what has been achieved so far, but now we need to start positioning this product.”

The achievement secures Yucatán’s position as Mexico’s leading mamey producer and adds the U.K. to a growing list of destinations that includes France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

State officials hailed the milestone as part of a strategy to expand Yucatán’s agricultural reach.

“This shipment represents a historic step for Yucatecan agriculture,” said Roger Góngora García, the state’s deputy minister of investment, commerce and industry. “It is the result of years of work, meeting international standards, and demonstrating that the quality of our products can compete in the most demanding markets.”

Native to Mesoamerica, the mamey (or mamey sapote) thrives in Yucatán’s southern municipalities of Akil, Oxkutzcab, Tekax and Maní, where state officials say more than 5,000 producers cultivate roughly 3,000 hectares. The production season runs roughly from January to June, with peak output around January through March.

With rough brown skin and vivid orange flesh, the fruit is creamy and sweet when ripe but bruises easily, making long-haul shipping a delicate operation.

Exporters say packing houses have had to fine-tune temperatures, cushioning and box design so that each fruit can endure the journey, ripen on schedule and still arrive with unblemished pulp.

Studies describe Mexico as the world’s leading mamey producer, with about 15 states growing the fruit, and Yucatán ranks as the top-producing state by both planted area and yield, according to published data.

Huertas Magaña, a family-run orchard founded more than 50 years ago, markets its exports through an alliance with Sweet Seasons, which also distributes the fruit across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

The U.K. shipment follows broader federal efforts, led by the Agriculture Ministry and its agrifood department, to expand export protocols for tropical fruits and strengthen the competitiveness of small producers in Mexico’s south.

With reports from La Jornada