Mumbai: Come summer and the demand for the king of fruits, ripe juicy mangoes, grows manifold. India, the world's leading mango producer, produces around 50 percent of the total mango production worldwide, and is expected to even better its healthy export figures this year. Last year, the mango exports from India grew at around 25 percent and touched Rs 100 crore, while the total export of fruit and vegetabels witnessed a 50 percent growth. Indian mango varieties like Dashari, Kesar, Langda and Alphonso were in high demand worldwide, including the UK and the the Middle East.

     Mango producers foresee Indian mango exports touching new highs despite a not exactly bumper harvest this time. "The crop of mango this year has come 15-20 days late. But if we consider the crops from Gujarat,Vijaywada, Karnataka and Kerala then it is good for export. This year, the south has produced large quantity of mangoes. But as the season of mangoes has just started, the crop is a little less but when the rest of the country joins with its produce, the rates will go down significantly. And people will get to have mangoes by April 15," said Ashok Hende, mango producer and exporter, Mumbai.

     Alphonso continues to remain the most preferred variety of mangoes with a 40 percent share of the total exports. The UAE remains the largest importer of the Indian fruit, taking in 14000 tonnes during 2002-03 alone. Experts say that the large Indian diaspora residing in the Gulf relish the Indian varities. India also holds a competitive advantage as it manages to ship its consignment to the Gulf, an advantage its competitors lack.

      "The mangoes are most often sent to the Gulf by steamer. Only the Gulf receives mangoes by steamer as mangoes take 8 days to ripen and the consignment reaches Dubai in two days. Muscat, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi too get mangoes from Dubai. The transportation cost is less via steamer than by air. That is why the Gulf is a profitable destination," said Hende. Indian exports were hit by the fruit fly scare in 2003 and the government initiated special vapour heat treatment of the consignments to get rid of the flies. The incident had led the US and European countries to put embargo on mango imports from India. The exporters have urged the government to take up their cause with the United States and Europe to get access to the highly lucrative market.

      "Mangoes are predominantly exported from Mexico. Our mangoes have not found their true export destination. We have been able to reach only the Gulf and Europe, Canada. But to America, Russia, Japan, France, which have high purchasing capacity, we are not being able to send our produce due to their restrictions. The government has to bargain with them and has to convince them, that Alphonso is a very typical variety of mango, which has very good taste and flavour," added Hende. India produces nearly 11 million tonnes of mango in states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Nearly 1000 varieties of the fruit are grown in an area of 1.23 million hectares in the country.
Mar 23, 2005