First air shipment of Karnataka mangoes to Maldives opens new export opportunities: Piyush Goyal
New Delhi, July 31
The first-ever air shipment of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka to the Maldives has opened new opportunities for the state's mango growers, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, highlighting the milestone as a step towards expanding the presence of Indian horticultural produce in international markets.
In a post on X, Goyal congratulated the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for facilitating the shipment.
"This milestone unlocks new opportunities for Karnataka's mango growers, encouraging greater participation from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), exporters & agri-entrepreneurs, enhancing their presence in the international markets," Goyal said.
According a release by the Commerce Ministry, APEDA facilitated the first-ever air shipment of one metric tonne of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes to the Maldives, with the consignment flagged off on Thursday. The export is aimed at promoting Karnataka's late-season mango varieties in overseas markets and strengthening India's mango export basket.
The consignment was sourced directly from farmers associated with M/s Prakruthimaya Farmers Producer Company Ltd. in Kolar district, Karnataka, and exported by M/s Ahalya Devi Ventures, a newly registered woman entrepreneur and exporter. The ministry said the initiative also reflects the growing participation of women entrepreneurs in India's agri-export ecosystem.
The release said Neelam and Totapuri are late-season mango varieties harvested from late June to the end of July, providing an opportunity to extend India's mango export season and cater to international demand beyond the peak harvest period.
It added that the shipment demonstrates the growing role of Farmer Producer Companies in connecting farmers with global markets through organised aggregation and export-oriented supply chains.
According to the ministry, farmers associated with the Farmer Producer Company realised over 50 per cent higher returns through the export initiative compared with conventional market channels.
The government said the export is expected to encourage greater participation of Farmer Producer Organizations, Farmer Producer Companies, exporters and agri-entrepreneurs in international markets, while APEDA will continue working with state governments and other stakeholders to strengthen export infrastructure and expand global market access for Indian agricultural produce.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is such good news! Especially the part about farmers getting 50% higher returns - that's real impact. Hope this encourages more FPOs to come forward and helps our farmers get fair prices. But we also need to ensure this is sustainable and not just a one-off thing.
Great initiative but one tonne is really small. We should be exporting thousands of tonnes if we want to make a real difference. Still, it's a start and kudos to the woman entrepreneur for taking this step. More such small steps will lead to bigger things.
Very proud moment! The late-season mango varieties extending our export window is a smart strategy. This way we can keep earning foreign exchange even after the peak season ends. Looking forward to seeing Karnataka mangoes in more countries soon 😊
Good move by the government, but can we also look at the export infrastructure? We still face a lot of logistical challenges and post-harvest losses. If we really want to become a major fruit exporter, we need cold storage chains, better air cargo facilities and faster clearances. Still, every step counts.
Nice to see the role of FPOs being highlighted. This is the kind of collaborative farming approach we need more of in India - farmer collectives working directly with exporters, cutting out middlemen and getting better prices. Hope this model gets replicated across the country!
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