India's mango exports face a hard time

 

The joy of eating a succulent Indian mango is likely to get costlier this year for consumers abroad, as world’s largest producer of mango, India, has suffered widespread damage to the crop due to untimely rain. While the supply of mangoes from northern and coastal states has plunged, the exorbitant price of mangoes in the global market may further give a blow to Indian mango exports.

Almost 50% crop damage has been reported across mango growing states that include Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The rain and hail from February to April have adversely affected the harvest of key mango varieties such as Malda, Alphonso, Kesar, Langra and Chausa that are popular mango varieties sold abroad.

Despite being a potential leader in mango exports, India has always continued to struggle in making a headway. According to industry estimates, mango exports may dip by 30% due to poor quality of mangoes caused by untimely rain and hailstorm in several parts of India. This is likely to further jeopardize India’s position as a market leader as far as mango exports are concerned.

Price effect

Currently, the king of mangoes, Alphonso, reaps a market price of Rs 500 to Rs 1000 a dozen. The price is set to increase by 30% if recurrent rain and humid weather continues to hamper mango production. The supply shortage is not only affecting the domestic market where prices are sky high, it’s also impacting the global demand for Indian mangoes as export-grade mangoes are selling at between 2,800-3,500 per crate of five dozen in Mumbai and other wholesale market, up by 100% from last year.

A majority of Indian mangoes are sold in EU, UAE, Vietnam, Qatar the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Image Credit: rediff.com