The Indian mango season is about to get going. The Alphonso and Kesar varieties are widely popular, especially in markets with large Indian communities, like the United States and the United Kingdom. It’s expected the season will be strong this year due to it coinciding with the Ramadan.
For the next 2.5 months the Indian mangoes will be in season. According to Kaushal Khakhar, CEO of Kay bee Exports, there will be two varieties available for export: “There are two major Indian mango varieties which are exported from India, being Alphonso and Kesar. Both the varieties do not follow the same ripening calendar and will be available on the market at different times, thus allowing the mango season in India to last around 2.5 months. The mango season will gradually start now that we’re in the last week of March with the Alphonso variety and will be followed at the beginning of the month of May by the Kesar variety which will be available until mid-June.”
Mr. Khakhar states that Ramadan will coincide with the mango season this year, which could lead to a surge in exports. “We have received positive feedback from major retail brands in Europe for both the Alphonso and Kesar mangoes and expect to receive more and more orders confirmation in the upcoming weeks which will make this season a real success for us. Moreover, this year the mango season coincides with the Ramadan period, which is from the 12th of April until the 12th of May, hence we expect to see a surge in orders.”
When the pandemic started, the costs for transporting produce shot through the roof. Although prices are still higher than they were before, they are no longer increasing and seem to have stabilized, Mr. Khakhar explains: “Though this summer the air freight rates are still higher than usual due to the pandemic, we are in a better position this year because they have stabilized and we do not witness sudden fluctuations in the rates any more. This has allowed us to structure clear programs for the season with our customers. This year, we expect to export the higher volume as last year since the air freight rates have stabilized permitting us to define clear programs for the season with retailers and exporters.”
“Summer has started in India and the temperature is still rising which will lead to very sweet mangoes and sets a strong path for the upcoming weeks. Moreover, the Indian mangoes have a particularly thin skin compared to other varieties. This gives them a delectable flavour and aroma. At the same time, they are relatively delicate to handle and hence can only be shipped by air. Consequently, the Indian mangoes are a rather niche market.”
Mr. Khakhar continues. “Our major markets for the mango season are the United States and Europe (United Kingdom) which host a large Indian community. This year we also expect to target other European countries for which we have so far received encouraging responses.”
Kay Bee will expand into the B2C market this season, bringing the produce straight to the end user. “While Kay Bee possesses a strong expertise at B2B transactions we are expanding to the B2C market. Indeed, with our brand Mango First (www.mangofirst.com), we offer boxes of exquisite taste and quality mangoes in a premium packaging to customers all over India. Each mango is hand-picked to guarantee that it is at the right ripening stage, packaged and delivered at our clients’ doorstep.” Mr. Khakhar concludes.
For more information:
Kaushal Khakhar
Kay Bee Exports
Tel: +91 22 4157 8900
Email: export@kaybeeexports.com
www.kaybeeexports.com