No buyers for Malda mangoes !?

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 18: The state horticulture department has not been able to export Malda mangoes, at a large scale, to foreign countries except Bangladesh despite several attempts in last five years. Though the department had been displaying variety of Malda mangoes in various counties but exporters have not been able to come up with Langra, Himsagar and Laxmanbhog this year.In last three years, the state horticulture department had been displaying Malda mangoes in Singapore, London and other countries for marketing. This year the two varieties ~ Langra and Himsagar ~ had no export demand resulting which the mango growers harvested them for the local market to get its production cost. Few of them have been exported to Kolkata and other districts. “No big exporter came to Malda to buy Langra and Himsagar this year”, said Mr S N Khara, the district mango development officer of horticulture department.An exporter from Kolkata came to Malda to buy 1.5 quintal Gopalbhog, for the first time and so the horticulture department has been able to display them in New York on 5 June this year under private public partnership (PPP) project for marketing. The product was sent to New York after receiving ‘germfree’ certificate from Mumbai. The state has no radiation unit for exporting mangoes in foreign counties like USA. The Malda horticulture department has appreciated Mr Netai Mandal, owner of mango orchard, in English Bazaar, for producing quality Gopalbhog, after receiving a good response from New York. According to Malda horticulture department, farmers in good agriculture practice zone, identified by the department for export quality mangoes, are still waiting to sell Laxmanbhog but no exporter has confirmed order for export till date. Mr SN Khara, mango development officer, said farmers were still waiting for exporters to sell Laxmanbhogh. This year Dabar has collected various mangoes weighing nearly 300 MT for pulp production.