Mango faces low production,but state gears up to export more

This year,the Lucknow belt is expected to produce a mere 10,000 MT — compared to 29,000 MT last year.

To attract more buyers from Eupore,Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Marketing Board is focusing on aggressive marketing strategies. “The packaging will be made more attractive,with a see-through window to give a glimpse of the fruit,” said Board Director Rajesh Kumar.

The Board plans to convene a meet of exporters and producers after the Lok Sabha elections with an aim to invite foreign exporters.

The mango pack houses,now fitted with gas ripening chambers and vapour heat treatment plants — which control the temperature of mango skin and pulp to give it a long shelf life — will start functioning from May 25 this year. “Efforts are on to motivate exporters to take UP mangoes to European shores,” said Kumar.

So far,mango export in the state is restricted to Gulf and Asia as farmers do not follow international standards of Good Agricultural Practices. “Even if we start educating the mango growers,it will take at least 10 years to eliminate the residuals of chemical fertilisers from the soil to make the produce pass European standards,” said Kumar.

The president of Maharashtra Mango Exporters’ Association,Anand K Shejwal,said the problem in exporting mangoes from the state is that by the time produce comes — late June — Pakistan has also begun to export the fruit.

“UP mangoes has higher freight charges but shorter shelf life as compared to Pakistani mangoes,” added Shejwal. Therefore,most of the produce from Uttar Pradesh remains restricted to only domestic export.

Apart from Uttar Pradesh,other states involved in mango export to Gulf,Asia and Europe include Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat,Karnataka,Tamil Nadu,West Bengal and Maharashtra — which has also started exporting to US from last year. This,according to the records of Agricultural and Processed Food Products Exports Development Authority — the Centre’s trade promotion body.

“This year,most of the production will take place in the Saharanpur belt,” said state’s Chief Horticulturist Bhanu Prakash Ram. Rehman Kheda and Dugauli villages in Malihabad area mainly comprise the Lucknow belt of mango growers.

“Due to extreme climatic conditions flowering has not taken place. The only respite is that wherever flowering has taken place,the crop is of good quality,” said Babu Lal,pradhan of Rehman Kheda.