The Malda district administration is set to organise a "Mango Meet" by August to bring together stakeholders like cultivators, scientists and exporters.
Dubbed the mango capital of Bengal, Malda produces around 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of the fruit annually on 31,000 hectares. Although the district exports mangoes to several countries, officials say the volume remains far below its potential, largely because of the limited adoption of organic farming practices.
“We want to enhance the global marketability of Malda mangoes,” said district magistrate Nitin Singhania. “The Mango Meet will facilitate discussions among producers, scientists, horticulture experts, exporters and marketing professionals. The main aim is to promote organic mango cultivation, which has seen increasing demand in both domestic and international markets.”
Singhania emphasised that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had consistently pushed for the international promotion of Bengal’s produce, especially mangoes. “Not only whole fruit but also value-added products like aam satva (mango fruit leather), pickles, jellies and candies might also have huge export potential,” he added.
Smaraki Mahapatra, secretary of the state food processing & horticulture department, recently visited Malda and encouraged efforts to market Malda mangoes internationally to ensure better returns for farmers.
The Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), a central government research body with a unit in Malda, will also play a role in the event. CISH scientists are expected to talk about best practices to enhance yield and quality through organic and sustainable farming methods.
Exporters will outline the specific varieties and quality standards preferred in European and Middle Eastern markets, giving cultivators insights into international demand.
The Malda Mango Merchants’ Association (MMMA) has welcomed the initiative. “Our mangoes reach several international destinations each year, but the volume is low because of a lack of training on organic farming methods,” said Uzzal Saha, the president of MMMA. “If farmers are equipped and encouraged to go organic, export volumes could multiply.”
On Thursday, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)organised a workshop at the CISH's Malda unit on the quality production and export of mangoes. CISH scientists, deputy director of horticulture Samanta Layek, Calcutta regional head of APEDA Sitakanta Mandal, MMMA president Saha and over 100 cultivators were present.