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
Friday, February 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
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
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
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ecuador seeks ‘better deal’ from EU
Fruitnet.com, Steven Maxwell | 23 February 2009 |
Negotiators from Ecuador are reportedly insistent that the EU complies with the terms of last year’s agreement to lower its banana tariff
click to read more...
Negotiators from Ecuador are reportedly insistent that the EU complies with the terms of last year’s agreement to lower its banana tariff
click to read more...
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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