In a major decision, India has received the go-ahead from the United States Department of Agriculture to export Indian mangoes to that country in the new season. The decision would enable consumers in the United States to have access to excellent quality mangoes from India. To recall, the export of Indian mangoes had been restricted by the United States since 2020 as USDA inspectors were unable to visit India to inspect the irradiation facility due to Covid pandemic-induced restrictions on international travel.
The breakthrough was achieved on November 23, 2021, at the 12th meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum during which the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and US Department of Agriculture signed a framework agreement for implementing the 2Vs2 Agri market access. Under this deal, India would import cherries and Alfalfa hay from the United States in return for the export of mangoes and pomegranates to the country,
More specifically, India would export the Alphonso variety of mangoes. The agreement allows for the export of Alphonso variety to the United States when the mango season commences from March onwards. According to government data, Indian mangoes are in high demand in the United States. In 2017-18, India exported 800 metric tons of mangoes to the United States worth $2.75 million. In 2018-19, India despatched 951 mt mangoes worth $3.63 million. In 2019-20, India’s mango exports rose to $4.35 million having exported 1,095 mt to the United States. Exporters are confident that the 2022 numbers may surpass previous years’ targets.
The latest development comes as a shot in the arm for farmers in traditional mango production belts like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, the USDA approval could provide an opportunity for the export of other variants of mangoes like Langra, Chausa, Dushehri, Fazli, etc from northern and eastern India.
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