India’s mango exports to face the heat of bad weather

Himanshu Vatsa | The Dollar Business India’s mango exports are expected to see a significant decline this year, as growers mainly in the northern region are facing huge damage to their crops due to bad weather. “Mango production is expected to decline by 60% due to squall, hailstorms and unseasonal rains during the flowering season. This year, the export of the fruit will be far less than the previous fiscal,” said Insram Ali, President, All India Mango Growers Association. During 2013-14, India exported 41,280 tonnes of fresh mangoes worth Rs. 28,542 lakh, which was lower than 55,585 tonnes of exports worth Rs. 26,471 lakh registered a year ago, said a government release. “The country’s overall export of mango is expected to decline by 30% this year again,” Ali told The Dollar Business. He also said that mango growers in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the region are not given adequate support in terms of transport subsidy. “Exporters need subsidy of up to 70% from the existing 30-40% to be competitive in the international market,” he said, adding that growers get better margins while selling the fruit in the domestic markets. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh are major buyers of Indian fresh mangoes. In European countries, and West Asia, mango exporters from Taiwan and Pakistan give tough competition to Indian suppliers. On the contrary, mango growers in Karnataka hope to increase their overseas shipment this year. According to the Karnataka State Mango Development Board, the state is expected to send around 5,000 tonnes of mango to the US, UK and other countries. Processed mangoes from southern states are mainly shipped to the US and European markets. Mangoes produced in Karnataka are sent to Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh for processing and exports. To ensure quicker processing of the fruit, the Karnataka State Mango Development Board has plans to start packing house facilities at Kolar, Mysuru and Dharwad this year, a media report said quoting Board Chairperson Kamalakshi Rajanna. The National Horticulture Board has estimated India’s annual mango production up to 19.27 million tonnes this year, up from 18.43 million tonnes produced last year. However, experts say that the production is expected to fall because of bad weather.    

May 30, 2015 | 4:11 pm IST.