Adoption of new techniques has prevented mangoes from harmful pest attacks, thereby improving the quality standard .jpg) With the quality of mango improving in the country, traders are fetching good prices for the commodity in foreign markets like the US. This has helped them immensely to earn good profit margins.“This year the production of mangoes has been high as compared to 2009, which proved to be a lean year. After every alternative year, the production of mangoes improves. Moreover, it has been noted that the production of the Dushari variety has increased in Uttar Pradesh. As a result, Dushari, which is in high demand in the Gulf countries as well as in the US would help exporters to fetch high profit,” says A K Singh, senior horticulture officer of the National Horticulture Board.
Although production of mangoes has been high in India, quality standard has been deteriorating due to lack of latest technological methods. However, of late with technological developments in the country, mango processors have been able to adopt new techniques to improve production as well as quality of mangoes.
Reasons for high production
According to Satish Srivastava, food technologist, consultant and advisor based in Lucknow, “Farmers have started implementing the smoking method in which mangoes are placed in chambers with sulphur ignited inside, thereby sterilising the surface of the mangoes and preventing them from pest attacks. This method is still practiced by the small farmers in India. Therefore, by adopting such post harvest methods, mango processors have managed to improve quality of the fruit and transport them to distant markets like the US in proper conditions.”
Mr Srivastava further added that horticulture techniques like grafting method would improve taste, colour and texture of mangoes. Experimental researches can also help to identify different varieties of mangoes and bring them together by grafting or cloning to cultivate superior quality mangoes.
The modern irradiation facility has been adopted by many mango processors as it prevents attack ofweevils and fruit flies that can damage the fruit.
Therefore, by adopting these measures the quality of mangoes would improve, thereby facilitating mango traders to cater well to the domestic market as well as export the fruit to various foreign markets.
Sabrina Mitchell |
