A 3.5lb mango just won a Spanish village grower title of ‘Mango King of the Axarquia’

Think you can grow a mango heavier than a bag of sugar? One grower in the Axarquia can tell you how, and prized fruit has has just won him a ticket for the Christmas lottery.

A surprise result in the Axarquia

Francisco Alarcon, from the village of Benamargosa, has been crowned winner of El Rey del Mango de la Axarquia, or “The Mango King of the Axarquia”. His champion fruit weighed a whopping 1,595 grams, just over 3.5lb. Only one prize had been planned originally but a strong turnout changed that, and organisers decided to reward the three heaviest mangos instead.

Alarcon takes home a selection of local produce and a decimo, which is a tenth share of a ticket for Spain’s Christmas Lottery, the big draw that takes place each December. Jose Luis Quero, from Triana, came a very close second with a 1,587-gram fruit, just eight grams lighter. Third place went to Carmen Fernandez, from Benamocarra, whose mango weighed 1,460 grams. Both received baskets of produce and googdies from the region and from Sabor a Malaga.

Fruit picking in full swing

Southern Spain tends to be better known for olives and oranges, but lately mangos have become a real success story on the eastern Costa del Sol. Around 4,000 hectares of plantations in the area account for close to 90 per cent of Spain’s mango-growing land.

Picking is now in full swing. Regional government forecasts point to a crop of about 40,000 tonnes worth roughly €60 million to growers, around 30 per cent below 2025, when 60,000 tonnes were recorded. Osteen is the variety grown across the largest area of the province and the one restaurants serve most often. If you spot them at a market or fruit and vegetable shop, they are well worth tasting.

Organisers thanked everyone who entered and said contests like this help the community champion one of its best-loved products. Anyone who has settled in these villages may want to think about next years, as your own garden giant might be worth weighing.