New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) In a significant boost to India’s fresh fruit export sector, 12.5 tonnes of premium Dashehari and Langra mangoes from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha have been successfully shipped to Dubai through a 40-foot refrigerated container transported by sea, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare said on Wednesday.
The consignment was exported by Shehnaz Export, Amroha, in partnership with Attashi Global and supplied to Lulu Group in the United Arab Emirates, one of the Gulf region’s leading retail chains.
The export was carried out under a sea-route protocol jointly developed by the ICAR–Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR-CISH), Lucknow, and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
According to officials, the mangoes were harvested on June 22 and processed using scientific post-harvest management practices recommended by ICAR-CISH.
The fruits were treated with METWASH technology developed by the institute to enhance shelf life, followed by grading and packing at the Amroha Pack House before being loaded into a refrigerated container for shipment under a continuous cold-chain system.
Despite weather-related delays caused by Western Disturbances, the consignment reached Dubai on July 17, completing a 25-day harvest-to-market transit period.
Remarkably, nearly 90 per cent of the mangoes remained in marketable condition upon arrival, validating the effectiveness of the technology and export protocol.
The successful shipment is being viewed as a landmark achievement because it demonstrates that premium Indian mangoes can be exported economically through sea freight without compromising quality.
Traditionally, mango exports to international markets have relied heavily on air cargo, which significantly increases logistics costs.
Officials said the sea-route protocol offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative that could substantially improve farmers’ earnings.
Since sea freight is considerably cheaper than air transport, exporters were able to pay higher procurement prices to growers.
As a result, mango farmers received an additional income of around Rs 15-20 per kilogram compared to conventional export channels.
–IANS
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