Friday, February 27, 2009

India: Mango arrival to be late in Gujarat this summer

The king of fruits might arrive a tad late this summer in Gujarat. According to experts, the arrival of mango in the state could be as late as 15-20 days due to irregular winter which seems to have damaged the flowering.

As per the Junagadh Agriculture University, the winter had been erratic this year leaving damaged flowers of mango, especially of the 'Kesar' variety in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. "Weather condition during winter this year was not favourable for mango in Gujarat. Right in the middle of flowering time, the climate became erratic resulting in lot of damage. As a result mango arrival will be quite late in the market this summer", said BK Kikani, vice chancellor, Junagadh Agriculture University.

Gujarat has approximately three lakh hectares area under mango cultivation. Areas like Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Valsad, Navsari, Sasan and Talala Gir, Visavadar, Savarkundala and Kutch have gained prominence for mango cultivation in the state. Last year about 10 lakh boxes, with each box containing 10 kg, arrived in the Talala Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) which is the main market for Kesar variety of mango in India.

Talking about the variety, Harsukhbhai Zarsaniya, secretary of Talala APMC said, "Kesar mangos arrival will start from May 10-15 this year. Generally it starts from last week of March every year. However, flowering has been late on mango. In normal condition flowers blossom between end of January and middle of February. But this year it was late as winter was not in its normal flow."

"It is too early to predict about production of mango, but yes arrival this season will be definitely late. Weather should also get hotter now. Otherwise it will also affect prices as bad weather can damage the products," said Batuksinh Jadeja of Ashapura Farm & Nursery from Kutch.


Source: business-standard.com

Publication date: 2/27/2009

India: Weather plays spoilsport with Bengal mango

Erratic weather in this belt has hit hard the flowering of mango trees in Malda district, famous for the king of fruits. “Flowers have been seen in only 20% of trees and the development could hit hard the economy of the district,” district’s mango development officer Samarendra Nath Khanda said.

Such low flowering in an ‘on year’ has been unheard of in recent times. Mango, an important aspect of Malda’s economy, is produced in abundance every alternate year. Such a year is called an ‘on year’ while the less producing one is an ‘off year’.

Mr Khanda said the low flowering could be attributed to absence of cold conditions and fog. Moreover, the absence of west wind could also have hit the production.

“Only new trees have flowered and there is no chance of any more flowering,” he said. The only silver lining is that the lakshmanbhog variety has started showing flowers. Every part of the district has been affected and the worst hit areas are Ratua, Manikchak, Chanchal and, Englishbazar.

Despite being an off year, last year’s production was a record 1.9 lakh tonnes which has nearly touched the average yield of an on year — 2 lakh tonne. About 2.6 lakh people are directly and indirectly involved with the production of mango in the district, where orchards can be found on 26,000 hectare of land.

“A number of varieties of mangoes — aswini, himsagar, langra, fazli, gopalbhog — are found in Malda district. Its earning from export, mainly to Bangladesh, is about Rs 120 crore,” Mr Khanda said.

Token exports were also being made to countries of Europe and Middle East.


Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

APEDA guidelines for export of mangoes to US

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has announced advisory and guidelines for export of mangoes from India to the US last week. According to Asit Tripathy, Chairman, APEDA, instances have come to notice in the past where certain courier services have been sending mangoes without irradiation to the USA. Similarly, passengers travelling to the US have carried mangoes as personal baggage without subjecting them to irradiation treatment.

Export of mangoes from India to the US was opened in 2007 after years of persuasion by the Government of India and Import Risk Analysis carried out by the US. The export of mangoes to the US is subject to irradiation treatment. Currently the KRUSHAK facility at Lasalgaon in Maharashtra is the only approved facility for carrying out irradiation on mangoes being exported to the US, it is learnt.

APEDA has issued a Public Notice to the exporters, courier services, passengers that no movement of mangoes in any form such as export, dispatch by courier, personal baggage consignments to the US should occur unless the mangoes are irradiated, Tripathy added. APEDA has also announced guidelines for pre-harvest and post-harvest operations for sea shipment of mango.

For pre-harvest survey an orchard survey must be undertaken to determine the right stage of harvest of fruit for export. Mangoes normally take 120-150 days from fruit set to maturity. Internally the fruit should have light yellow tinges to the flesh and slightly more yellow coloration round the stone. Fruit should be firm but not hard.

For harvesting pick only clean and healthy looking fruit, i.e. no signs of damage by insect pests or diseases or by other means and all fruits must be of consistent maturity. Fruits should be harvested leaving 10 cm of stalk using mango harvestors and a smooth net pouch for holding the harvested fruit. Harvested fruit should be lowered and placed with stem upwards in clean and disinfected plastic crates. Crates should not be placed directly on the soil. Each crate should be labelled indicating the orchard name, variety, date and time of harvesting

For long distance markets, fruits should be harvested at early maturity. However, fruits should not be immature. In order to ascertain appropriate levels of maturity of the fruits, the following parameters should be carefully observed to avert spoilage. Fruit should be harvested at light green colour stage of mango peel (skin). Fruit should be harvested with a specific gravity of 1.0 or slightly less. The incidence of spongy tissues increases with an increase in specific gravity. Total soluble solids (TSS) of mango fruit is recommended to be between 7 and 8% and fruit acidity recommended pH 4.0. The fruits of uniform characteristics should be harvested and packed to ensure uniform ripening. Consignment lot should comprise fruits harvested at the same period. Harvesting should be planned keeping in view the above factors.

Also, the fruits should be harvested in the morning (before 10 am) or evening (after 5 pm). Harvesting after 10 am and before 5 pm should be avoided in order to ensure reduction of field heat in the fruits. Harvesting should be performed 48 hours in advance of shipping.

For harvesting of the fruits, specially designed mango harvesters (stalk clippers) should be used to improve the quality and shelf life of the fruit. Traditional `jerk harvesting' should not be adopted. It is recommended that after harvesting, the fruits should be immediately kept under shade at safe and clean place until it is transported to the packhouse. Further, for ensuring the quality and shelf life of the fruit, it is advisable that fruits be air/potable water cooled under the shade till harvesting is completed. This will minimise the effect of high temperature on the fruit and would decelerate the ripening process. As far as possible, the cold chain should be maintained from harvesting stage itself.

The fruits should be quickly transported in fully covered vans preferably in the refer vans to packhouse. Efforts should be made to pack the fruits in the nearest packhouse to minimise the delay and to avoid damage to the fruit during transit.

Desapping is a process of removing the sap from mango fruit. The sap from the fruit is removed by cutting the stalk of the fruits at a length of 5-10 mm from the base of the fruit with the help of a sharp edged scissor/harvester. At the time of stalk cutting, the fruit should be held upside down so as to avoid the flow of sap on the skin of fruit. It is advisable that whole sap from the fruit should come out during the de-sapping process. However, to reduce the process time, fruits should be placed upside down at least for 45 minutes. This process should be undertaken by only trained/skilled workers of the packhouse so that the skin of the fruits is not damaged. It would be appropriate if fruits are washed with water by applying a forced jet system of spraying. This will considerably hasten the process of desapping and ensure proper coverage of the fruit by the spraying water.

After de-sapping, the fruits should be washed carefully for 2-3 minutes to remove any patches of sap. During washing, fruits should also be cleaned with soft brushings. The washing is recommended to be done with only fresh potable water of temperature lower than that of the fruit. Neutral detergents like Teapol, Sandovit or Indtron at 0.1% (1 ml of detergent per litre of water) may be mixed with water to help remove latex (sap). It is recommended that the Alphonso mango shall be subject to specific gravity test for removal of fruits affected by the internal disorder - spongy tissue disorder. This may be done by transferring the fruit to a tank containing 2.5% salt solution. The mangoes which sink down are over mature and are likely to be affected by spongy tissue disorder.The mangoes which float in the salt solution are at the right stage of maturity for export.

Hot-Water Treatment is mandatory for USA. After de-sapping and washing, mango fruits should be passed through hot water treatment tanks fitted with thermostat control sensors to maintain the desired temperature of 520 C. The hot water should be treated with disinfectant such as sodium hypochlorite/procloraz etcat 200 ppm concentration for 3-4 minutes. After hot water treatment fruits are passed through the drying table to remove the moisture. The fruits are then cleaned/wiped by a soft muslin cloth/automatic sponge system and transferred to sorting/grading table.

Over-sized/under-sized /blemished /diseased/damaged fruits shall be removed at sorting table. Though maturity indices are observed at harvesting stage as mentioned earlier. It is advisable to observe the maturity index at this stage as well. The fruits falling in uniform criteria shall be graded and packaged accordingly. Fruits should be handled carefully and placed gently into the packing boxes to avoid bruising/injury. Fruits shall be graded as per size, weight, shape and colour or as per the market requirements. The grading shall also be done by following the grade requirements as notified by Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, Government of India.

Immediately after packing, the packed fruits shall be transferred to pre cooling chamber. The recommended temperature of pre cooling chamber is 12-13 degrees C.

It is advisable that packaging should be carried out on tables instead of floor for maintaining proper hygiene. Fruits shall be placed into soft, expandable polystyrene, netted sleeves to prevent bruising before placing into the final packaging boxes. Mango fruits should be packed in single layer within the self locking fibreboard carton boxes. The bursting strength requirement of the packages should be more than 260 lb/in2. The packing material should have waterproof coating to prevent damage to the fruits. Adequate ventilation (openings) shall be provided in the boxes and such ventillators (openings) in the box shall be covered with an insect proof screen of 30 mesh per liner inch which is mandatory for USA and Japan. Packing material of only food grade quality shall be used for packing of fruits. Carton labelling shall be done in accordance with the market requirement. After packaging, palletisation is very essential in case of sea shipments to reduce the fruit damage due to multiple handling. The pallet size should be 1200 x 1000 mm. The pallets should be secured with horizontal plastic straps and stacking operation should be done carefully. Stacked packages shall be immediately loaded into the container maintaining a temperature of 12 degrees C with a relative humidity of 90-95%. Process of shipping shall be carried out within 48 hours of harvesting. In this regard it is advisable that a complete plan preferably by a pert chart should be made as per the expert guidance, in advance of export. Before loading the consignment, temperature of the fruit should be brought down to 12 degrees C. Temperature of the loading bay should also be maintained at 12degrees C. Air flow movement should be provided by stacking the cartons properly. The temperature of the container should be maintained at 12 degrees C. The Relative Humidity (RH) should be 90-95%. The temprature during transport should be monitored meticulously. The temperature of 12 degrees C shall be maintained throughout the transit period. It would always be advisable if data loggers are placed inside the container to monitor the temperature and RH throughout the transit period. This will provide information in case of any spoilage of fruit during transportation. To avoid the breaking of cool chain at destination, consignment should be immediately transferred to the cold store (maintained at 12degrees C.) till fruits are supplied to the market.

For shipment of mangoes to japan, it is mandatory to get the consignment vapour heat treated , currently the approved facilities for vapour heat treatment (vht) exist at Msamb, Vashi, Maharashtra; Andhra Pradesh State Agro Industries Development Corporation at Tirupathi and Nuzvid, Uttar Pradesh Mandi Parishad, Saharanpur, and Galla Foods Limited, Chittoor and Nikko Namdhari Foods Ltd, Nashik.



Source: fnbnews.com
Publication date: 2/27/2009

Monday, February 23, 2009

Philippines: Gov’t pushes cheaper mango exports

The Government plans to expand mango exports to the United States by reducing freight costs to make local mangoes more competitive, an official of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said late last week. The BPI, an agency attached to the Agriculture department, will again test the controlled atmosphere technology in a shipment from Manila to California to Chicago, Illinois next month, BPI Technical Director Hernani G. Golez said in a telephone interview.

The controlled atmosphere, first tested in 2004, is a technology which delays the ripening of mangoes and prolongs shelf life to enable the mangoes to reach distant markets like the US in satisfactory state. "The only problem for our mangoes is our freight cost. The controlled atmosphere would allow mangoes to ’sleep’ for 27 days to save on shipping cost," said Mr. Golez, who is also the chief of the National Mango Research and Development Center.

Air freight accounts for up to 60% of mango’s landed price, he said. For instance, a five-kilogram box of Philippine mangoes costs $39-$40, almost triple the $14.50 for Mexican mangoes. The government eyes cutting costs to $21-$22/five-kg. box.
"There was no conclusive data that will prove that the shipment by controlled atmosphere in a long transit ship to the United States and Europe is successful," Roberto C. Amores, vice-president for Agriculture and Food Security of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a separate phone interview.

Hence, he said the government should experiment cross-breeding local mangoes with a semi-temperate variety to produce a mango with a long shelf life. The country exported 37,157 kilograms of fresh mangoes to the US worth $183,675 in 2007, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics show.

Meanwhile, a nationwide survey on the presence of mango seed and pulp weevil which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development, will conclude this August, Mr. Golez said. BPI has surveyed seven regions in Luzon composed of 36 mango-producing provinces and three regions in Visayas composed of 16 such provinces. BPI is surveying six Mindanao regions with 25 mango-producing provinces.


Source: bworldonline.com

Publication date: 2/23/2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

US for more mango imports from West Bengal

The US today called for more imports of mango from West Bengal as the state was a leading producer of the fruit.

US Consul General in Kolkata Beth A Payne said that American people were looking for good quality products. Mango could be a product which has a good export potential to the US.

Speaking at an interactive session organised by Bengal National Chamber of Commerce& Industry here, Payne said that since the US economy was reeling under recession, it was the appropriate time for Indian investors to look for business opportunities there.

She said that it was also necessary to promote a healthy investment climate and expand business ties between US and West Bengal.

Payne said that eastern India offered opportunities in infrastructure, port development, mining, food processing, chemical, and service sectors like IT and biotechnology.

Indo-US bilateral trade in 2008 touched US$ 44 billion.


Source: indopia.in

Publication date: 2/20/2009

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

India expects strong mango export season

fruitnet.com 16 February 2009

With new markets opening up and a forecast improvement in mango volumes and quality this year, Indian exporters are predicting a successful season

All indications point to an excellent 2009 Indian mango export season, according to leading shippers.


With a first-rate quality crop forecast this year and new international markets opening up to the fruit, exporters are confident of doing good business despite the global economic downturn.


Some shippers say they are experiencing greater interest from mainstream UK and European consumer markets in Indian mangoes, which bodes well for the future. And others believe that the US – which opened its doors to irradiated Indian mangoes in 2007 – holds untold potential. China, currently a fledgling market, also offers exciting prospects, some exporters say. And, this year, India hopes to ship its first ever mangoes to Australia if current trade negotiations go to plan.


“There are new markets opening now to Indian mangoes like the US, China and Australia. If the product is able to the meet the non-tariff barriers and quality standards, the market potential is huge,” said Vishwajeet Sinha, general manager (sales) at Desai Fruits & Vegetables, whose company has repositioned itself to aggressively target developing markets, such as the EU, US and China, this year.


Despite the gloomy economic situation that has adversely affected some high-end fruit and vegetable sales in Europe and the US, Kaushal Khakhar of leading exporter Kay Bee says Indian mangoes (mainly the Alphonso and Kesar varieties) have seen excellent buyer interest so far this year.


Desai Fruits, though, anticipates a significant shift in consumer purchasing behaviour following the global financial meltdown and will therefore focus on exporting cheaper varieties with better shelf-life this season.


“The challenge is to be cost-effective in a consumer market with increasing price sensitivity amidst global financial crisis,” Mr Sinha told Fruitnet.

India: Poor mango harvest in Malda?

It is past mid-February but mango flowers are yet to be seen, indicating a poor mango harvest for Malda this year. Farmers are despondent, as going by the cycle they were expecting a bumper crop this year. The scope for a make up is slim too since the state government has a provision to compensate damage caused to the mango crop but there is no provision to compensate for the absence of flowers.

According to the mango development officer in Malda, Mr S N Khara, the mango trees so far flaunt 25 to 30 per cent of the expected bloom. “We would have to wait a week more for the final calculation of flowering. But going by the indications so far, mango harvest is feared to be poor in Malda this year,” he said. Holding the unfavourable weather conditions responsible for the situation, the official added: “We expect 40 per cent flowering to be completed in another week's time.”

“The district did not receive ample sunlight for 10 days in the month of January, which caused the major damage. From 22 January onwards, Malda district was shrouded in fog. Moreover, the proper chill also did not come in time and now the mango trees are not getting the much-required western breeze to help flowering properly.”

The situation of mango cultivation was discussed in a meeting today in presence of the ADM (development) and sabhadhipati of Malda zilla parishad. The meeting was held to draft action plans and proposals to be sent to the national horticulture mission (NHM) seeking funds for 2009-10 for the development of mango cultivation in the district.

There is a twist here. “The state government compensates farmers for loss in the mango crop but in this case, the loss is due to non-flowering, which we cannot compensate for,” said Mr Khara.

The district horticulture department officials are hoping that production of the laxmanbhog and fazli varieties of mango would be better than the ashwina, himsagar and langra varieties this year.


Source: thestatesman.net

Publication date: 2/17/2009

Monday, February 16, 2009

India: Govt land boost for mango farmers

New orchards planned in two districts to grow hybrid variety


The forest department plans to exploit the mango-farming potential of East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan.

Senior officials of the department said that they had identified 128 acres in the two districts for developing mango orchards. The proposed orchards would come up on riyati land, for which the department has already identified potential farmers.

Dhalbhum divisional forest officer A.T. Mishra said that while 28 acres were in his region, another 100 acres were located in Seraikela-Kharsawan division.

At present, Mishra is also in-charge of the divisional forest in neighbouring district.

The department has decided to distribute a special hybrid variety of mango for specially suiting the needs of this region.

The growth of this special variety is also faster than the conventional ones.

“The soil of this region is not equipped to handle the convention variety of mango, which is being grown in Bihar and some regions in the Jharkhand. After conducting a thorough soil testing in the region, we have decided for this variety of mango,” said a senior official of the department.

He added that the officials had to first convince local farmers to go for mango farming, which was not tried in this region much.

“The variety, which we have come up with, suits the need of this region. It would easily adjust to the soil, which is available in this region. In long run it would help the farmers and in augmenting their income from land, most of which are now lying vacant,” said a forest department official.

According to him, besides the mango fruit, the wood of old trees also fetches money for the farmer.

Mango orchards are very famous in neighbouring Bihar and Bengal, but has failed to catch up here because of unfavourable soil.

“Due to our effort, greenery will come up in land that is owned by farmers. Moreover, people in this region would get to taste the mango grown in their own orchards,” added forest officials.


Source: telegraphindia.com

Publication date: 2/13/2009

Uganda: Farmers venture into more fruitful mango business

Farmers in Teso region have turned to mango farming business to supplement the traditional cattle grazing.

The scramble for the business is attributed to success stories of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) farmers and a recent deal from Britannia Industries to provide market for the fruits. “About 80 per cent of our people are into fruit farming, in the next five years, cattle farming may phase out” Bukedea District Chairperson Rev. Sam Ekabulin told Smart Money in an interview recently.

He said officials from Britania Industries had tested mango varieties, Valencia and Hamlin and local types which they think would be good for juice processing though scientists in Soroti recommend sweet Mediterranean. Naads Executive Director Silim Nahdy said the programme was a success in Teso having supplied about two million grafted seedlings to farmers. “A mature tree yields close to 300 kilogrammes of fruits and the cost ranges from Shs10, 000 to Shs30,000 per bag. This means that such a farmer is capable of earning close to Shs10 million” he said.

Mr Ben Otunu, the Soroti Resident District Commissioner said in the next five years, the region would be a fruit basket for Uganda. “People are embracing farming which is a good trend but have not abandoned cattle keeping completely because it is a traditional practice” he said. Mr Hasmukh Dawda, chairman House of Dawda - Britannia Industries’ mother company - confirmed the development saying they were also encouraging farmers to diversify into growing oranges.

“We want to increase the chain of fruit suppliers and we can guarantee them market at a good price,” Mr Dawda said. He said the company is to invest in its own demonstration gardens to ensure a steady supply of especially orange seedling to emerging farmer groups in the country. Most farmers in Teso currently produce Valencia, Washington Naval, Hamlin and local varieties of mangoes.


Source: monitor.co.ug

Publication date: 2/13/2009

India: Steady supply to make alphonso affordable

This one-time supply outstripping demand is going to be welcome because it will mean that the king of mangoes, the alphonso from the Konkan
(Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts mainly) will come within reach of more buyers. With an estimated 20% increase in production, growers from the region expect a healthy fruit and a bumper crop, provided the weather does not have extreme swings between now and mid-March.

Last year, untimely rains had adversely affected the mango crop in the Konkan, leading to black spots on most of the mangoes which made them unfit as table fruit. This resulted in a steep rise in the prices of the fruit.

This year, the chill set in early January, delaying the flowering but not affecting the quality of the fruit. However, instead of a batch wise production, this year alphonso mangoes will reach the market in bulk between March 15 and May 15. Coupled with an estimated 20% increase in production over last year, growers expect the supply to exceed demand.

Alphonso mangoes are mainly grown in the Konkan region, especially in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts. According to data with the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), these two districts produce about 2.9 lakh tonnes of mangoes. Raigad and Thane districts also produce some varieties of mangoes while the Devgad taluka in Sindhudurg district produces the world’s best Alphonso, about 50,000 metric tonnes annually.

Santosh Patkar, manager of the Devgad Taluka Mango Growers Co-operative Society, said: “The first boxes of mangoes are currently on their way to the market. But this is a sporadic produce and the mangoes are low on taste. The mango season in its true sense will start by March 15. We expect a bumper crop between April 10 and May 15.”

In an effort to stamp out the blatant plagiarism of the Devgad Alphonso name, the society plans to process of opening exclusive marketplaces for the Alphonso in Mumbai, Mr Patkar said.

“Many traders pass off other varieties of mangoes as Devgad Alphonso. So we plan to start selling on our own. We have held preliminary talks with a person in Andheri and are looking out for places in other parts of Mumbai as well. We aim to start direct selling of Devgad Alphonso from our members’ orchards at these places from March 15,” Mr Patkar said.


Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Publication date: 2/13/2009

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Flooding damage to Dominican farms RD$300M and counting

Although the authorities still evaluate the farm sector’s losses from the flooding in several zones, in the country’s Northwest and Northeast they surpass RD$300 million.

Agriculture minister Salvador Jiménez said the Government will assist farmers affected by the floods that damaged rice, banana, plantain, vegetables and fruit crops.

After meeting with producers in the Northwest, Jiménez said there’ll be many facilities for farmers to recover form the flooding damage.

Some farm owners asked him to be part of the committee that manages the dams, because they are not taken into account when they are drained.

The provinces most affected by the floods were Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Dajabón, Montecristi, Puerto Plata, San Francisco, Espaillat, La Vega and Monseñor Noel.

Overflowed rivers, streams and creeks also flooded thousands of houses in urban as well as rural areas, forcing the evacuation of thousands.

In Santiago the body of Eugenio Garcia, 37, was recovered yesterday, whereas in nearby Altamira a mother and her 10 year old daughter drowned and also a farmer who tried to cross a swelled river.

It’s been more than nine days of downpours in the North, Northeastern and Northwest regions, whereas the National Meteorology Office expects the rains to continue for another 24 hours.


Source: dominicantoday.com

Publication date: 2/12/2009

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

India: Less chill means fewer mangoes this year

Higher day and night temperatures this winter have left thousands of mango farmers in south Gujarat worried. Flowering is less this time
and late by almost one-and-half month. Low and poor quality yield of the king of fruits mean lesser returns for majority of growers and exporters in the region.

Compared with previous years, mango trees have not blossomed fully, with about 60 per cent less flowering. Dharmesh Lad, who owns a farm in Dharampur in Valsad, says the unusually high temperature this winter is not favourable for normal flowering.

Also, physiological changes in soil condition due to spells of rains even after monsoon last year, have led to an adverse impact on the crop, in particular, alphonso, langra and kesar varieties that need dry soil to blossom, says Lad. Last year his farm yielded seven tonnes of mangoes, but this time he is not expecting more than four tonnes.

Chilly weather is needed for about a fortnight at least, for mango plants to flower but this winter, the region has not yet witnessed such cold, says RR Shah, dean, agri-business management, Navsari Agriculture University. Inadequate conditions have resulted in less sprouting in hundreds of mango orchards in Surat, Navsari and Valsad districts, Shah says.

Besides, excessive and repetitive flowering last year followed by rains and induced growth of new leaves left plants with not much nutritive elements for normal blossom this time, explains Chandrakant Patel, a horticulture consultant in Valsad.

Even required temperature in the range of a low of 12 degree celsius and a high of 24 for at least 10 days, has not prevailed so far this season, says Patel.

Langra, Alphonso and Kesar from south Gujarat are popular in European and Gulf countries. The US has also opened its market for Indian mangoes since 2007 and about 32 tonnes of Kesar mangoes from south Gujarat were exported there in that year, according to sources here.

With poor yield expected, sales turnover of mangoes from south Gujarat, both in domestic and foreign markets this time, is likely to be on lower side, compared with total turnover during last year, says Lad.


Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Publication date: 2/10/2009

Monday, February 9, 2009

India: Cold storage unit for mangoes promised

Assembly Speaker Jagadeesh Shettar said that a cold storage and processing unit would be set up exclusively for mangoes at APMC yard here at a cost of Rs 35 crore.

He was speaking after inaugurating Tropicool Foods Ltd, a cold storage unit jointly set up by state-owned Karnataka Agriculture Produce Processing and Exporting
Corporation (KAPPEC) and Hubli-based Ken Agritech Private Ltd, at Ramanala near here on Monday.

He said KAPPEC will join hands with private partners in setting up the unit that would ensure fair price for mangoes. Preparations are on in this regard, he added.

"Farmers of north Karnataka region can strike it rich if they adopt modern technology in fruits and vegetables cultivation. The cold storage units are a boon for the farming community as they ensure fair price for their produce. They should be set up in every taluk," he felt.

Kalghatgi MLA Santosh Laad said the unit would help farmers immensely. He assured the farmers that he would dig 1,500 borewells in the taluk for their benefit.


Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Publication date: 2/9/2009

Tanzania: Experts fight mango destroying fruit flies

A mango production company has warned of a drastic drop in output in the near future if no measures are taken to prevent the increase of flies known scientifically as Bactrocera Invadens that cause the spread of mango diseases.

Burton Nsape, a Farmer from Mbezi Msumi in Dar es Salaam told The Guardian yesterday that the huge fruit flies are spread in many parts of the country where the mangoes are grown and that two thirds of Tanzanian farmers engaged in such farming have been affected by the flies.

``Normally the fly known as Bactrocera Invadens lays an egg on a mango. The egg penetrates and lodges in the fruit, where it hatches a poisonous larva that causes the mango to rot and consequently produce maggots`` he said.

According to Nsape, right now the majority of farmers engaged in such farming are trying to find a solution to the problem which is on the increase and poses one of the greatest constraints to the development and improvement of mango production.

He said researchers from Mikocheni Agriculture Research Institute (MARI) and others from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Co-operative are carrying out a research on the mango variety of Keitt and Tommy Akctings studying the fruit flies that cause the mango to rot, form fungus and produce maggots.

The research findings will help all farmers engaged in mango farming to control fruit flies and produce mangoes that meet customer needs and compete with other countries such as Australia, Israel, South Africa, Puerto Rico, US and Mexico.

Samples from the research would be used as the basis for further scientific research on biodiversity in general, in addition to the interrelationships, origin and evolution of insects and their allies.

Nsape also called on the government to allocate more research’s funds and train young biologists including entomologists on how to prevent fruit flies and to cultivate, harvest and even keep mangoes in a conducive environment.


Source: ippmedia.com
Publication date: 2/9/2009

Guatemala to export 4.5 million boxes of mango in 2009

Increasing mango exports in 2009 to reach 4.5 million boxes, is the goal set by the Guatemalan mango producers. This is possible due to the signing of the export protocols by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA) and the Department of Agriculture United States of America.

In 2008 the mango exports reached more than 4.1 million boxes, about 18 metric tons. This represented more than half a million more then in 2007, according to the Guatemalan Association of Exporters (Agexport).

Guatemala has approximately six thousand hectares of mango cultivation; over 50% of the production obtained is exported. 95% percent of the exported mangos go to the US markets the remaining 5% reaches European markets.

To be able to export mango to the USA, the product must comply and maintain quality standards and phytosanitary security norms. This has been achieved through the coordination and MAGA through the Integral Program for Agricultural and Environmental Protection (PIPAA) and the Unit for Standards and Regulations (UNR), in conjunction with the export sector. Having complied with these standards has enabled Guatemala to have six mango packing plants certified by the United States.

The Government promotes actions to benefit the production and export sector of Guatemala to increase the profits and opportunities in rural areas of Guatemala. The producers are diversifying their products to take advantage of the new markets.
The signing of the protocols was conducted by Gary Green, a representative of USDA / APHIS, and Julio Recinos, Minister of Agriculture of Guatemala. Mr. Green commended the work done by Guatemala to meet quality standards.


Source: guatemala-times.com

Publication date: 2/9/2009

Guatemala continues to ramp up mango exports

By Jose Escobedo thepacker.com

(Feb. 3, 2:40 p.m.) Guatemalan mango exporters are getting ready to boost mango supplies to the U.S. from February through April. Despite efforts to increase export volumes, importers aren't too optimistic about this year's mango market.

Jim Burnette, mango category manager at J&C Enterprises, Miami, said the mango market is down mainly because of increased volumes and the recession.

"In a normal year, we would be selling these mangoes for $9 or $10 because volumes are so small. This year is different. Mangoes are selling anywhere between $6.50 and $7 per box," Burnette said.

On February 3, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported prices of $6.50-7.25 for one-layer flats of tommy atkins from Ecuador size 7-8, $7.00-7.25 for size 9-10, $6.50-7 for size 12 and $5.50 for size 14.

"For the coming weeks, prices should go up because the volumes are going to drop more," Burnette said. "There is less fruit coming in," he said.

Burnette said that Ecuador's deal will end next week, and mangoes from Peru are supplying the market with lesser quantities.

Lately, Peruvian mangoes are finding their way to European markets. According to the Peruvian Association of Mango Producers, up until the end of January, (the season ends in March) 60% of Peruvian mango exports headed to Europe, while 22% went to the East Coast and 14% to the West Coast of the U.S.

"The volumes are going to go down next week for Peru and continue downwards through March," Burnette said. "Peru will supply the market with tommy atkins sizes 7s and 8s," he said.

"One of the reasons why mango volume (in the U.S.) is low is because mangoes are worth more in Europe," Burnette said. "In Europe, they are selling for the equivalent (in euros) to $8 U.S. Besides, they don't have to go through hot water treatments in Europe like they do in the U.S.," he said.

Despite the economic crisis, Guatemala is ramping up efforts to increase its annual mango share in the U.S. market each year.

"In the past, they have been able to ship into the U.S. more volume than they had originally intended to," said William Watson, executive director of the National Mango Board, Orlando, Fla.

"Guatemalan export volumes have increased anywhere between 3% and 8% over the last three years," Watson said. "Their production is growing, too. They have more mature trees than in the past," he said.

Eddie Caram, director of operations for New Limeco LLC, Princeton, Fla., is planning to import about 250,000 cases of tommy atkins mangoes from Guatemala, sizes 7s through 12s.

Caram said volume from Guatemala is similar to last year's and the weather has been favorable.

"If the climate and weather keep up, we think we will have spectacular fruit," Caram said.

New Limeco also sources its mangoes from Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil.

Caram said the company will start sourcing Guatemalan mangoes in March through the first week of May, at which time the company will import from Mexico.

Watson said the Guatemalan mango deal usually starts in late February and runs through April.

Nearly 15,000 acres are allotted for mango production in Guatemala, and for 2009, growers expect an increase of 300,000 boxes in mango exports to the U.S. This represents a 7.5% increase in volume compared with last year's, according to information provided by Agexport, the Guatemalan Exporter's Association.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

US: First to market, Sundia’s True Fruit organic arrives in stores


Responding to consumer demand for organic produce, Sundia Corporation, today announced that True Fruit Organic, the only fruit cup on the market filled with ready-to-eat, organic fruit grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, can now be found in supermarkets. The cups come with a spork (combination fork and spoon).



“We developed True Fruit Organic for consumers committed to organically-grown food,” said Brad Oberwager. “Our fruit is packaged in clear containers to let them see the quality of the fruit which tastes as good as it looks, and we pasteurize to eliminate all safety concerns. It is now easy and convenient for organic food consumers to eat the recommended two servings of fruit per day.”

According to Oberwager, studies suggest that about 90% of Americans don’t eat the recommended amount of fruit per day, and convenience is often the reason cited for not doing so. “It’s for these people that we developed True Fruit – people who want to eat right but lead such busy lives that eating well is often a challenge,” he said.

Consumer awareness of the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables has risen in recent years and with that has come an increased demand for cut fruits and vegetables. Sundia is the first produce company to introduce a line of fruit cups filled with organically grown fruit.

True Fruit Organic, packed in 10.75 ounce cups, comes in three wholesome and delicious varieties -- - mango, peaches, or pineapple. The cups retail for $1.99 each.

Publication date: 2/4/2009

India: Alphonso mango arrivals seen delayed

Last year, it was unseasonal rains, this year it is late flowering. Consumers will have to wait for a longer time to enjoy the king of fruits, Alphonso mango, this year. Mr Milind Joshi, Divisional Manager, Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board, Ratnagiri district, told Business Line that the flowering of the mango trees had begun late, due to the atmospheric conditions. “For the flowering to happen properly, it is essential that cold temperature be prevalent. This year, the winter season was less and this has resulted in the late flowering of the mangoes,” he said.

Mangoes usually vend their way into the market by March from Devgad moving on to Ratnagiri by the first week of April, and continue till the end of May. But as a teaser, the first box of Alphonso, four dozens, made its way into the city market by the first week of January, priced at Rs 10,000. These mangoes had come in due to the sudden increase in temperature in November.

Mr Joshi said the first week of April would see a production of about 15 to 20 per cent and by second half of April the production would touch 60 per cent. Mr Sudhir Moraeswar Joshi, Chairman of the Mango Growers Co-operative Society, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, is of the view that this year production would be half. Last year, he said the production from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg was 1.25 lakh tonnes, and this year it is expected to be less by 50 per cent.

The area under Ratnagiri mango cultivation is around 62,836 hectares with a production of 1,15,939 tonnes per annum. The area under Sindhudurg is around 26,125 hectares with an average production of three tonnes per hectare.

Mr Sudhir noted that the farmers this year would not be able to command a higher price for the fruit as it would be hitting the market with all the other varieties such as kesar. “The farmers can get their price only during the three months of February, March and April, but with less production and competition from the other varieties, it would be difficult times,” he said. Mr Joshi said the percentage of export of Alphonso is expected to increase this year as around 80 farmers have already joined hands for exports to the US. The total number of farmers expected to join is around 120 this year. Last year, it was 60 farmers, he added.


Source: blonnet.com

Publication date: 2/4/2009