Pune, June 9 Indian mangoes bound for the US are set for their maiden voyage with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products’ Export Development Authority (APEDA) preparing to test the sea protocol at the end of the week.
“These will be the first mango consignments to the US that will be exported via the sea route, and the shipment will set sail on June 12,” Mr Asit Tripathi, Chairman, APEDA, told Business Line. The success of the 19-day voyage between Mumbai and the US East coast will go a long way in making the fruit more competitive in this market.
Indian varieties such as Alfonso and more recently, Kesar, are considered to be superior in taste to fruit from other mango exporting countries, but the high cost of air freight renders them quite expensive. Typically, the Indian fruit costs $20 a pound while mangoes from countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic cost $8-10 for the equivalent weight.
Some bottlenecks
While some 80,000 tonnes of Indian mangoes are exported to several counties across the globe every year, the US came into the destination radar a couple of years ago. The potential identified here was around 500 tonnes every season. However, this year, with more than half the season already over, a mere 100-odd tonnes have been sent across to date.
Though recession and lack of availability of quality fruit on account of un-seasonal rains in the catchment areas of Maharashtra are amongst the factors that have been responsible for this, a single facility in the country for irradiating mangoes is proving to be another bottleneck. “All produce sent to the US has to be irradiated. At present, the only facility for mangoes is at Lasalgaon in Nashik district,” Mr Tripathi explains, adding that though the capacity here is 500 tonnes per season, the need to transport mangoes here from far-flung States such as Uttar Pradesh can pose a logistical nightmare.Should the mangoes that are despatched via sea withstand the journey, it will open up the flood gates for export to the US. An official estimate suggests that export volumes up to 20,000 tonnes can be achieved in three to four years’ time.
Source : Business Line