USDA, APHIS to inspect Indian mango imports

As Indian mangoes are on its way to the US, the agriculture and processed food export development authority (APEDA) has invited senior inspectors from USDA and animal and plant health inspection service (APHIS) to oversee irradiation facility in the country and certify export consignments as per agreed protocol. Between April 9-10 about 1,080 boxes of Alphonso and Kesar mangoes weighing 3800 kg has been dispatched to Chicago. Also 1,275 boxes of same mangoes weighing 4,460 kg has been sent to New York and 420 boxes of mangoes weighing 1,470 kg destined for Atlanta.

The US assured to grant market access to India mangoes when president, George Bush, visited India in 2006. It was agreed that Indian mangoes should be irradiated to meet the sanitary and phytosanitary norms of that country. Accordingly the irradiation treatment facility of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) was proposed and APEDA was appointed as the coordinator for integrating the entire chainlinking. "We have invited senior inspectors from USDA and APHIS to oversee irradiation treatment facility and certify export consignments through designated agencies," said the APEDA chairman,A K Tripathi.

India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world (around 14 Million Tons) with an over 50% share of world production. However, a large quantity of the mango produced is consumed in the areas of production.

Mangoes come in many shapes, sizes and colours. In fact, even when it comes to flavour, aroma and taste, there is a wide variety to choose from. Being a versatile fruit there are numerous usages to it. The raw fruit is used for preparing pickles, chutneys (spices or otherwise flavoured paste in fresh or preserved form) and fruit drinks. The drink prepared from the unripe green fruit is as delicious as the one prepared from ripe mangoes. Both in the unripe and the ripe form, the fruit is synonymous with nutritional value.Mango is most popular as a table fruit. Its fresh pulp is added to fruit salads, ice-creams, milk shakes and other desserts.

Major commercial varieties of mangoes like Dushehari, Alphonso, Kesar, Banganpalli, Langra, Chausa, Mallika, Swarnrekha and Totapuri are available for exports. APEDA is a link for arranging promotion of both fresh and processed mango products in international market. Particularly to USA, there is a scope of establishing large export base as we have native Asian population already exposed to strong flavour and characteristic of Indian mango. Indian mangoes becoming more popular over the South American and Caribbean varieties presently available in USA due to its mango taste, aroma and flovour.

APEDA helps Indian exporters in comprehensively addressing issues relating to the entire supply chain. This is achieved by adopting an end-to-end approach for integrating the entire process right from the stage of production till it reaches the market. This entails identification of farmers, ensuring the availability of inputs, extension of pre-harvest, harvest and post harvest technology, strengthening of infrastructure and marketing of the produce.

To meet the quarantine requirements, protocols have been developed for export of fresh mangoes from India to USA through process of irradiation treatment, which has been standardized to maintain the quality and health, safety and hygiene standards at various stages of the supply chain.

Source: financialexpress.com

Publication date: 4/15/2008

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