Kesar mangoes to tickle Chinese tastebuds soon

After winning hearts abroad, the homegrown Kesar is now set to enter China. A delegation of Beijing-based Holian group is scheduled for a 10-day tour of India starting March 15.

The delegation will inspect mango orchards in Konkan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Marathwada.

Trimbakrao Pathrikar, chairman and founder of the Aurangabad Mango Growers Association (AMGA) said it was a matter of pride for the organisation to host the delegation and it would do everything to bag the order.

Pathrikar said that AMGA's efforts to promote Kesar mangoes have borne fruit as the yield has steadily been rising for the past 10 years.

Last year, about 22,000 tonne of Kesar was exported to foreign countries. This year, the AMGA plans to export this crop to Germany also.

Sunil Pawar, general manager of Agriculture Marketing Federation (AMF) said that a shipment takes 22 days to reach mainland China by sea and air travel is not feasible as it is very expensive. "We are, therefore, demanding the Centre to subsidise export of mangoes by air".

India and China signed a new treaty four years ago, which paved the way for greater import-export opportunities between the two countries. Recently, a government delegation from China visited India to chalk out the roadmap for an extensive export treaty.

Pawar added the hypermarket culture is also spreading in the country and big companies have already booked their orders for mangoes with the agriculture marketing federation.

Fruit Bazaar, which has 47 branches across the country, booked of two lakh dozens of mangoes, apart from the ITC he added.