The country will be almost completing a decade of export of the famed Alphonso mangoes to Japan this season, top officials of the Maharashtra State Agriculture Marketing Board (MSAMB) said. The first consignment for the season has already left and more exports are expected as the season progresses, senior officials said.Alongside exports, the Board has also decided to directly reach out to other states through Farmer Producer Companies by holding Mango Festivals.
Japan is one of the toughest markets and India has managed to crack this market, Kishore Toshniwal, MD, MSAMB told FE. As a result, mango exports to Japan have now become a regular feature, he said. Vapour heat treatment is mandatory for export to Japan since this country is not in favour of irradation, he said, adding that Japan also has very high standards as far as residue levels are concerned. Cases of rejections are more but with the guidance of APEDA, the Board has been successful in guiding farmers in maintaining these standards, Toshniwal said.
Last year, India exported around 50 tonnes of mangoes to Japan and this season, the figure is expected to rise to 150 tonnes, he said, adding that Japan has now become a steady market for the country.
Mango exports from the country this season are expected to rise by around 10-15% thanks for a good crop this season. Some 2,10,000 mango orchards have registered on MangoNet — a traceability system established by APEDA that has made it mandatory for exporters to pick mangoes for exports only from growers registered on MangoNet. Last year, the country exported some 35,000 tonnes and this is expected to go up to around 45,000 tonnes this season. Maharashtra is the largest mango exporter in the country and accounts for over 80% of the total exports.
Toshniwal said inspectors from the US have already arrived and the first consignment to them is expected to commence soon. There is a lot of process involved in the start and once the exports commence, some 2,500 tonnes are expected to be exported. The other new markets this season include South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Europe has been one of the most important markets for the country and some 5,000 tonnes are expected to be exported to the Europe market.
For Europe, the produce has to go through hot-water treatment. For South Korea, Pest Risk Analysis is mandatory.
Mauritius has already granted market access to Indian mangoes subject to phytosanitary certification, Switzerland has also lifted the ban on Indian mangoes. New markets have also opened up in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea and Australia.
According to Toshniwal, this season the board is exploring possibilities of holding Mango Festivals in either Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat sometime next month onwards through Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).
Source: financialexpress.com