Malda’s famous Himsagar mango expected a sweet export season, but received a sour flavour. Dark spots caused by a weather-induced disease have created uncertainty over the export of West Bengal’s famous Himsagar mango.
Exporters said that a large portion of the fruit may no longer meet quality standards abroad.This problem is due to continuous rainfall during the mobilization phase for agriculture, followed by periods of high temperatures. The exporters said that these conditions led to the appearance of dark spots on the surface of the mango, which are early signs of infection.
Bagging, a process in which individual fruits are covered with protective bags while still on the tree, is commonly used to improve the appearance of mangoes and reduce damage from pests and diseases.According to exporters, attempts to address the problem of dark spots on bagged Himsagar mangoes have yielded no results, making many of the fruits unsuitable for export markets and organized retail chains.“We were supposed to send the first consignment of mangoes to the US this week. We were afraid of dark spots on the fruits, and it has come true. If we had exported the consignment, the importer would have rejected it as the fruits should be free of spots, which is an early sign of the disease,” Prasun Chitlangia, co-founder of Shrishti Food Products, told PTI.
He said bad weather conditions during the growing season were to blame for the situation.He said, “The continuous rains during the packing period, followed by high temperatures, led to this problem. The situation is bad. We have a large number of export orders.”The exporter had planned to send a one-ton consignment of Himsagar mangoes to the US as Malda’s first overseas shipment of the season.This development comes as exporters and officials have set an ambitious target to increase mango and litchi exports from the region to over 300 metric tons this season.
This drive has been supported by the expansion of export-focused farming methods and a growing number of farmers adopting fruit packing practices.Despite concerns over the disease, Ujjal Saha, president of Malda Mango Traders Association, expressed confidence in the export prospects of the region.“There have been reports of disease in about 15 per cent of the packed fruits. But nearly three lakh packed mangoes are still available and can be exported.
Saha said orders for Himsagar mangoes remain strong.Previous estimates by exporters projected mango exports from the region to range between 300 and 500 metric tons this season, a significant rise from about 15 metric tons shipped to five countries last year.To support export growth, the state horticulture department and exporters have been promoting export-oriented farming practices, including fruit packing, good agricultural practices (GAP), scientific harvesting and improved post-harvest handling to ensure better quality of fruits and compliance with international standards.The officials distributed about 2.5 lakh bags of fruits to farmers and were supervising 50 to 60 orchards that were following export-compatible farming methods.This season’s export basket was expected to include premium mango varieties such as Himsagar, Langra, Lakshman Bhoj and Amrapali, besides lychees grown in Malda and neighboring Murshidabad district.Even as the disease-related setback affects immediate shipping plans, exporters said international demand for high-quality Malda mangoes remains strong, and efforts are being made to identify export-quality fruits from unaffected orchards.