India exported mangoes to the US after 18 years in 2008, but the volume remained low at just 143 tonnes as the quality of the fruit was affected by unseasonal rains while exporters too faced problems of high costs of compliance and freight, among others.
“During (the) 2008 mango season, India exported 143 tonnes of mango to the US valued at Rs 2 crore approximately,” Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jairam Ramesh said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha On Thursday.
“Both the sides have agreed to an operational work plan, according to which the US Department of Agriculture deputes its inspector to India during the mango season to oversee the complete operation of mango exports,” the minister said. However, the low volume of the shipment was a result of the impact of the erratic monsoon on the fruit. “The low offtake was a result of spoilage of quality of the fruits due to unseasonal rains,” Ramesh said.