Bengal's Malda district has exported 10 tonnes of premium mangoes to international markets in just one week, with officials expecting total shipments to exceed 100 tonnes this season as overseas demand for the fruit continues to grow.
According to officials, around seven tonnes of mangoes have been exported to West Asian countries, while another three tonnes have been shipped to Milan, Italy.
ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH)-Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) head Dushyant Raghav said the exports so far have consisted of the 'Amrapali' variety, with more premium varieties expected to follow in the coming weeks.
"So far, 'Amrapali' mangoes have been exported. We expect another 100 tonnes of shipment over the next month, including 'Vrindawani', 'Fazli' and 'Aswina' varieties. Several countries are expected to procure premium Malda mangoes in the coming days," Raghav told PTI.
He said Malda's good agricultural practices (GAP)-based mango cluster comprises around 200 farmers spread across nearly 500 hectares. CISH-KVK monitors orchards from the flowering stage through harvesting, grading and final packaging to ensure compliance with international quality standards.
Raghav added that rising overseas demand has also helped growers secure better prices in the domestic market.
The exports were enabled through scientific orchard management practices under the GAP programme, including timely fruit bagging, integrated pest and disease management, balanced nutrient application, orchard sanitation, and proper pre- and post-harvest handling, another official said.
Mango exporter Prasun Chitlangia said he exported produce from two of his orchards as part of the consignments that began towards the end of June.
Horticulture Deputy Director Samanta Layek echoed Raghav's assessment, saying around 10 tonnes of mangoes have already been exported from GAP-certified orchards, with significantly larger shipments planned over the next month.
The consignments included 'Amrapali', 'Lakhanbhog' and other export-quality mangoes.
Officials said the export initiative was jointly facilitated by ICAR-CISH KVK, Malda, the district administration, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the district horticulture office and the Malda Mango Merchant Chamber of Commerce, which coordinated quality production, certification, logistics and market linkages.
They said the initiative has strengthened the export potential of Malda mangoes, expanded access to international markets and improved growers' incomes through overseas sales.
However, popular Malda varieties such as 'Himsagar' and 'Langra' could not be exported this season after weather-related conditions affected their ability to meet the required export quality standards, another official said.
