New Delhi, July 14: India is in danger of losing its pre-eminent position in the world mango trade, a national seminar of mango breeders and experts has cautioned.
Poor efforts at improvement of the varieties of mangoes and lack of modern handling and processing technology are stated to inhabit the popularity of Indian mangoes abroad. Already countries like South Africa, East Africa and Mexico are fast catching up with the world mango market at the expense of India’s established position.
The U.K. is reported to have started importing raw mangoes from third countries for processing ‘chutney’ indigenously.
The seminar — the first all-India seminar on mango and mango culture — jointly organised by the Union Agriculture Ministry and the U.P. Government at Lucknow recently, has suggested immediate measures for the varietal improvement of Indian mangoes to maintain its pre-eminent position in the international market.
The seminar noted the urgent need for breeding new varieties with high pulp-stone ratio for the canning industry’s requirement, and for strengthening the post-harvest handling arrangements, keeping in view the demand for Indian mangoes abroad.
It also suggested the setting up of Mango Boards on the pattern of the Coffee Board to take up the integrated development of mango production, storage, processing, transportation and marketing.
