New Delhi: The EU’s ban on India’s mangoes will affect the country’s trade on the “king†Alphonso mangoes but could prove a boon for Pakistan. Indian mangoes were found heavily infested with fruit flies, contaminating mangoes.
Pakistan is right behind India in the export of mangoes. To ensure pest free exports of mangoes EU has also sent a serious warning to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), Pakistan to take steps to control the harmful organisms while exporting fruits and vegetables.
Pakistan’s mango export industry are now promoting the use of hot water treatment (HWT) along with looking after Global Gap mango farms that have been following “Good Agriculture Practices” (GAP) so that fruit fly and other pests may be destroyed before dispatching the shipments. Pakistan is second ranked behind India in the export of mangoes. To ensure pest free exports of mangoes EU has also sent a serious warning to the Department of Plant Protection (DPP), Pakistan to take steps to control the harmful organisms while exporting fruits and vegetables.
In HWT mangoes go through a thorough cleaning system where they are treated in hot water at temperatures of around 48°C for approximately an hour, dried, packed and cold treated. This facility has already been approved by importing countries including Australia, South Korea, Mauritius, and Lebanon. It is open to all in the fresh produce exporting trade.
India’s mango output accounts for about half the global total; it sends some 16 million mangoes every year to the UK alone, worth roughly £6.3 million.
The impact of ban on Indian mangoes has turned into a controversy not only in India, but in the UK and Europe, and many importers, retailers, growers and politicians are branding the prohibition as a punitive and over-reactionary measure and have started active lobbying to show how seriously they have taken up the issue and have further filed E-petition with the authorities concerned for the reversal of the ban.