By A. MATTHEWS
ARTESIA, CA -  The Indian Mango hogged the limelight as the drive to promote the fruit in the US, was kicked off in Southern California at an event jointly hosted by the Consulate General of India and the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, India, (APEDA) at the Bombay Garden Restaurant here on June 10.

The APEDA team which had flown in from New Delhi, was led by Chairman Asit Tripathy who informed the audience of APEDA’s move to get a firm foot into the door of the vast mango market of the US and get non-Indians hooked to the tastes of the ‘king of fruits’ by lining up a number of local restaurants that will serve mangoes and mango products.

Tripathy revealed that it has been a long battle to bring the mango to the US, but after 18 years, the ban has been finally lifted and last year mangoes worth $1 million were exported to the US and would likely go up to $7 million this year.“ Within the next five years, our aim is to bring a substantial quantity to the US,” Tripathy said.

The ban was mainly due to the presence of fruit flies. India and the US have now agreed on an Operational Work Plan for export of Indian mangoes, based on which guidelines have been prepared to fulfill the quarantine requirements in the US. The export consignments are treated in the Irradiation Facility under the supervision of US Irradiation experts. Tripathy underscored the fact that the radiation was very low dosage and safe and does not change the taste. Mangoes are procured from registered orchards and processed in recognized packing houses to ensure the tracking and tracing of the produce. To maintain quality and hygiene, the fruit has to undergo various other treatment processes. The irradiated mangoes are packed in netted bags and ventilated packages and are stored securely to prevent cross-infestation from untreated fruit.

Of the 1000 varieties of  mangoes grown in India, some of the main varieties being exported to the US are Alfonso, Kesar, Chausa, Langra, Dusseri, Malda.

Though mangoes are grown all over India, the main mango growing states are Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world with 50 percent of total world production. Though it took so long for Indian mangoes to reach the US, other countries have been importing Indian mangoes for many years. These include many European countries like UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, countries in the Middle East, Israel, Singapore, Malaysia , Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.

Tripathy said the challenge in the US now lies in bringing down prices, As magoes are airlifted, a box of 12 mangoes costs between $30 to $35. Shipping mangoes by sea could slash the price by half and make them more affordable to all. Also as mangoes are perishable , APEDA is working on ways to make them value added and looking into developing products like pulps, squash, jelly, juices. APEDA is adopting a strategy of looking at mangoes as a composite product. Others on the APEDA team included General Manager A.S. Rawat and Dy.General Manager Navneesh Sharma.

Gian Nega represented the Indian Consulate General.

The restaurants which will be hosting the Mango Festival in Southern California are Bombay Garden, Artesia; Chakra Cuisine in Irvine and Beverly Hills; Diamond Palace Cuisine in Diamond Bar; Hurry Curry in Marvista and Rupee Room in Tustin. A number of  grocery stores including Ambala Cash and Carry and Pioneer Cash and Carry in Artesia; New India Sweets and Spices in Diamond Bar, Canoga Park and Northridge;  and Wholesome Choice in Irvine will have in-store promotions.