To popularise mangoes produced in Bengal, the state government has taken the initiative to find a place for the fruit in the world market.

With this in mind, a team of mango farmers and exporters is leaving for Singapore to participate in a buyer-seller meet and an exhibition of Indian mangoes, to be held there from June 8 to 12. The team will be led by state food processing minister Sailen Sarkar.

?We will take with us various types of mangoes, such as Himsagar, Langra, Amrapali and others. We will be accompanied by nearly a dozen exporters and farmers. Our main target is to find a market where we can sell our commodities,? the minister explained. ?In Singapore, we will talk to the business community that deals in mangoes,? he added.

The minister said the decision to export mangoes was taken after a discussion with central agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. ?MPs from our state and senior officers of my department discussed with him in detail the prospect of a regular export of Bengal?s mangoes,? he added.

For success on the mission, the Agriculture Produce Export Development Authority, of the Union ministry of commerce, worked in tandem with the state Horticulture Development Corporation and Food Processing Department.

The minister said the exporters will participate in the fair at their own cost.

A senior officer of the food processing department said the government has a plan to train mango cultivators in Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24-Parganas and Hooghly.