In a first, U.P. mangoes set to tickle taste buds in US
First consignment of UP mangoes, including Dussehri and Chausa, to be exported to the USA with improved shelf life and quality, thanks to joint efforts.
Various varieties of mangoes, including Dussehri and Chausa, grown in Uttar Pradesh are ready to be exported to the United States of America (USA) for the first time, courtesy joint efforts of the Uttar Pradesh government and ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow.
The first consignment of four tonnes of Dussehri will be sent from Rahmankhera campus of ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow on Monday (June 17).
“Export of Malihabadi Dussehri and Chausa mangoes of Bulandshahr and Saharanpur districts on weekly intervals will continue till the end of the season. This task that appeared impossible in the past has been made possible due to collective efforts from all,” said T Damodaran, director, ICAR-Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow.
The mangoes from the state will be sent in presence of Uttar Pradesh agriculture Surya Pratap Shahi; state agriculture production commissioner Manoj Kumar Singh and director, directorate of horticulture and food processing, Vijay Bahadur Dwivedi.
For this, continuous efforts have been made for more than a year now. “Metwash” technology was developed to increase the shelf life of mangoes for export to 30-35 days,
“Fasal Prabhat” technology developed by the institute was used to improve the quality of fruits. Besides, fruit bags were promoted to keep fruits chemical free and arrangements were made for cold chain and fruit treatment by contacting many exporters.
Necessary financial assistance was received from the Uttar Pradesh government to carry out all these works which enable us to form groups of Dussehri mango farmers in Malihabad under the leadership of Manish Mishra, principal scientist and SC Ravi, scientist, and Chausa mango farmers led by Prabhat Kumar Shukla and Sushil Kumar Shukla in western Uttar Pradesh, said said the ICAR-CISH director. Farmers in these groups adopted technology and also bagged lakhs of fruits, making them exportable, he added.
