Indian mango exports are expected to increase this year, according to a spokesperson for the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
“The mango season has just begun. We expect the total outbound shipments to touch around 70,000 tonne this year,” a senior official at APEDA told Indian newspaper the Business Standard.
Provisional data showed last year the country exported round 65,000 tonnes of mangoes.
The availability of export grade mangoes this year was good and had contributed to the predicted increase in exports, he told the publication.
Exports account for a small portion of India’s total mango crop, which this year is predicted to fall between 1.5–1.6m tonnes.
Exports begin with the Alphonso variety in March and continue with Kesar, from the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, before finishing with Beganpalli from Andhra Pradesh, in May and June.
Currently much of India’s exports are sent by air to ensure fruit arrives in good conditions. This year, however, APEDA is promoting the use of sea freight through an insurance programme by which it will cover 50 per cent of any losses incurred through shipping, reported the newspaper.
The main markets for Indian mango exports, the newspaper stated, were in the Middle East, Europe and neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
