UP's mango exporters run into rough weather with Gulf's new strict norms

UP's mango growers are already facing massive crop loss due to inclement weather this season

Beleaguered mango exporters from Uttar Pradesh are worried about a new stringent certification norm in key Gulf markets. The state's mango exporters are already facing a substantial drop in mango production this season due to hailstorms and unseasonal rains. 

According to the new norms in West Asian markets, mango exporters are now required to submit a certificate, along with the consignment, regarding the use of pesticides during the flowering of the crop and the duration of its use.

"This is aimed at ensuring that pesticides have not permeated the skin of the fruit and rendered it harmful for human consumption," Western UP-based Shahnaz Exports promoter Nadeem Siddiqui told Business Standard.

"The dilemma is that there are no labs in UP to issue such certificates to exporters, who will have to approach labs elsewhere, whether near the national capital or other states, such as Haryana," he lamented.

Siddiqui said that he was in touch with the UP Mandi Parishad (state agricultural marketing board) to demand the setting up of testing and certification labs at the state's pack houses. 

UP’s 14 mango belts mainly span Lucknow (Lucknow, Malihabad, Bakshi-ka-Talaab), Saharanpur and Sambhal-Amroha-Muzaffarnagar districts. 

Owing to adverse weather conditions, almost 80 per cent of the state’s mango crop has been lost this season. Out of the roughly 4 million tonnes (MT) of annual production, the production has been pegged at one MT. The significant drop in production is bound to cause substantial financial loss to mango farmers and leave little for exports.

The United Arab of Emirates is the top export destination for Indian mangoes, accounting for 60 per cent share, followed by the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bangladesh. Indian mangoes are also exported to South East Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore etc, especially from UP.

Andhra Pradesh and UP, together, account for about half of the country’s mango production, followed by Karnataka, Bihar, and Gujarat.

The Lucknow mango belt, spanning over 25,000 hectares, produces the world famous Dussehri mango. Dussehri is also registered under the Geographical Indication Act owing to its unique sweet taste and fragrance.

Siddiqui said there was good demand for Dussehri in West Asia and his firm was targeting to export 200 tonnes to the Gulf and the South East.

Meanwhile, Mango Grower Association of India president Insram Ali has urged UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to treat mango growers at par with agriculturists and extend similar benefits, especially in the backdrop of the massive crop loss this season. 

"We have urged the government to give compensation to mango farmers and cover them under agricultural insurance schemes," he added.

Ali has also demanded the state to set up food processing industries along the mango belts to promote mango cultivation and increase farmers' income.

Apart from Dussehri, UP produces other mango varieties like Langda, Chausa, Amprapali and Mallika.