In all, nearly 250 tonnes of the fruit has been treated till date for various countries.The Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board aims to treat nearly 2,000 tonnes of mangoes in its facility in Vashi for exports between April and July this year.
Bhaskar Patil, DGM, Vapour Heat Treatment and Irradiation Facility Centre (CHT and IFC) ,said the export season looks bullish, especially for the US.
Located near the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), the MSAMB’s facility in Vashi for exports has necessary infrastructure for exporters to send their fruits to foreign destinations. Countries like US and Australia require irradiation and hot water treatment before the fruit is exported to them while Japan and South Korea mandate that the export consignment be treated with vapour before it flies out of the original country. Vashi’s centre has all three treatment facilities for ease of exporters.
After a gap of two years, exporters from India are gearing up for a good export season, thanks to ease of all Covid-19 restrictions. Meanwhile, the US inspector has arrived after two years which will allow the fruits to be flied out to US. Dr Kathryn Fielder, foreign programme specialist, US department of Agriculture (USDA), has arrived on April 7 and will be staying in the country to supervise the process till June 13. Speaking to The Indian Express, she said that as per the norms, she is expected to carry out randomized checks of consignments to check for mainly fruit fly and fruit stone weevil. “In case any consignment reports any of these two pests, they are rejected,” she said. Dr Fielder said till Friday, she has not found any stone weevil, but one consignment had fruit fly which led to it being rejected.
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Indian mangoes, she mentioned, are not allowed in the island station of Hawaii for fear of any contamination with the local flora. The programme is being held under mutual cooperation between the two countries. Patil and other officers of the Board also said that next year onwards the US government will authorise inspectors of the National Plant Protection Office (NPPO) to oversee the process which would increase the window of export. Countries like South Korea and Japan have already authorised NPPO to oversee the process of treatment and has stopped sending their inspectors to India.
Patil said till date 100 tonnes of mangoes have been treated in the hot water and irradiation centre for US while 10 tonnes have been given the same for export to Australia. Similarly, 40 tonnes have been treated for European Union at the hot water treatment facility and 12 tonnes have been treated for Japan at the vapour heat treatment facility. In all, nearly 250 tonnes of the fruit has been treated till date for various countries.
The facility, which is now running in full capacity, is expected to treat 2,000 tonnes of fruit for exports. Over 1,000 tonnes will be for the US while the rest will be sent to other countries. The centre is expected to earn Rs 145 crores in way of fees of which Rs 5 crore would be the MSAMB’s earning in terms of fees.
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