Karnataka mango exports to touch 10,000 tonnes

  • | Sunday | 23rd April, 2017

However, record exports will depend on supply of quality mangoes like Alphonso , Banganapalli, Mallika etc. Quality Alphonso is grown mainly in Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Ramanagara and Bengaluru Rural districts, though it is originally from North Karnataka. BENGALURU: Mango growers of Karnataka have reason to smile. It is popular as it normally weighs more than 300gm, is sweet with a thick, golden-yellow skin, and has a long shelf life. There is a surge in demand for the fruit grown in the state in offshore markets this year, after having established its aroma and taste the world over.

BENGALURU: Mango growers of Karnataka have reason to smile. There is a surge in demand for the fruit grown in the state in offshore markets this year, after having established its aroma and taste the world over."At the beginning of the season, Karnataka bagged an export order for 1,500 tonnes to the US," said Kadire Gowda, managing director, Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation, a board established to exclusively promote mangoes.Gowda said the corporation hopes to export at least 10,000 tonnes of mangoes to the US, parts of the European Union, UAE, Kuwait, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and other countries due to strong demand and expected sufficient supply of export quality fruit. However, record exports will depend on supply of quality mangoes like Alphonso , Banganapalli, Mallika etc. These late maturing varieties are likely to be ready for harvesting around May 20.Karnataka, the third largest producer after Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, cultivates 13-18 lakh tonnes of mangoes on 2.2lakh hectares of land across the state, with Srinivasapura in Kolar district being the biggest producer. Production dipped to about 3-4 lakh tonnes this year, compared to last year's 14 lakh tonnes due to drought and unseasonal rain.Horticulture department officials said inadequate irradiation or sterilization centres for treating mango pests and fruit fly is limiting large shipments. The US prefers irradiation to get rid of mango seed weevils and fruit fly, he added.The state-run corporation has tied up with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) and Innova Agri Bio Park at Malur in Kolar district to ensure the export variety of mangoes meets the stringent quality standards of the US market. "Gamma radiation of mangoes is mandatory to meet US regulatory norms for fruit exports from India, like vapour heat treatment for export to Japan and hot water treatment for Australia," Gowda said.He said they are in the process of setting up two hot water treatment plants, one at Chintamani and another at Hubballi. "They are expected to be ready in May and will facilitate more exports this time," he added.Mango exporter Irfan Mallik from Kolar said the Alphonso variety of mangoes grown in Karnataka seems to have caught the fancy of people in western countries. Quality Alphonso is grown mainly in Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Ramanagara and Bengaluru Rural districts, though it is originally from North Karnataka. It is popular as it normally weighs more than 300gm, is sweet with a thick, golden-yellow skin, and has a long shelf life. Gowda said for the first time, they plan to export Mallika.

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