With a view to tapping the high potential for mango exports from Telangana, particularly to the US and European markets, the State government’s Horticulture Department is planning to set up five pack houses, scientific fruit processing-cum-treatment facilities to ensure quality in tune with the demands of those countries and also to improve shelf life of the fruit.
About 90% of the mango cultivated for commercial purposes in the State is the well-known Banginapalli variety and now it is being exported mostly to neighbouring countries since it has a very short shelf life of about a fortnight after it is harvested (cut from the tree) in the mature stage for ripening. Lack of required treatment facilities has been a major hurdle in its exports, although the variety has huge demand in the US, European and other far-east markets.
Apart from post-harvesting management of the fruit crop, standardisation and grading is given little importance now. The fruit requires various kinds of processing and treatment if it has to be made suitable to the US and European markets, keeping in mind stringent regulations adopted there as every importing country insists on certain requirements.
Explaining the fruit treatment requirements of some countries, Agriculture Production Commissioner C. Parthasarathi said: “The US insists on radiation treatment, several European countries ask for water treatment and Japan seeks vapour treatment. Several Asian countries, including Israel, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and China, have such facilities and their exports are far greater compared to India’s”.
Limited facilities
Such scientific fruit processing-cum-treatment facilities are very limited in the country and they are non-existent in Telangana. “The State government on its part is planning to set up a pack house on the campus of Agriculture University here by reviving an outdated processing unit. It requires ₹3-₹5 crore for setting up such a treatment plant”, he stated.
Four other such units with public-private partnership are being planned in Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Mancherial and Jagitial districts, where the mango cultivation is high, by encouraging private players. As a step towards quality fruit production, the State government also has plans to encourage high-density mango cultivation.
