India in talks with various nations to boost mango exports

The Dollar Business Bureau

India is in discussion with different nations including South Africa and Australia to enhance its exports of mangoes. 

“Although some varieties of mangoes from northern India are already being exported to Australia, authorities concerned are pursued to consider other varieties as well,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written response to Lok Sabha.

An Australian delegation had visited the country in the month of June to verify and certify the three irradiation units for irradiated mangoes export from the southern and western regions of India," she said. Australia is yet to certify these units as it is under process, but efforts are on to gain market access. South Africa and South Korea have granted market access in June, Sitharaman informed.

Quarantine Inspector of South Korea had visited India on June 11 for pre-clearance programme at Vapour Heat Treatment (VHT) facility, situated in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh for exporting mangoes to South Korea, she said.

Exports of agri and allied products from India during the period April-February this year dropped to Rs.1.43 lakh crore from Rs.1.68 lakh crore in the same period a year earlier. 

“The major reasons for the drop are low prices of commodities in the global market, declining global demand, high prices in domestic market as compared to global prices, which have made India’s exports uncompetitive,” Sitharaman said. 

In the year 2014-15, India exported around 43191 tonnes of mangoes, worth around Rs.304 crores.

This season, a total of one lakh tonne of mangoes is expected to be shipped from India to several international markets. Last year, the country had exported around 50,000 tonne.