A European Union ban on import of Indian mangoes, including the famed Alphonsos, from tomorrow and a resultant glut in supply is pushing down prices in the local market, reports Times of India.\u00a0Although Indian consumers are happy over the falling price, the country\u2019s farmers and exporters criticised the European ban and appealed to Brussels to overturn its decision.
\nThe 28-member EU imposed the ban, to take effect from tomorrow, on import of mangoes including the highly prized Alphonso mangoes, known as the \u2018king of fruits\u2019, and four vegetables from India after finding unwanted pests such as \u2018non-European fruit flies\u2019 in some consignments, reports Agence France-Presse.
\nThe Agricultural Produce Market Committee fruit market in Vashi is receiving record supplies, adds Times of India report.
\n\u2018After the Sunday break, there was a record inflow of around 2.5 lakh boxes in over 650 trucks compared to last week\u2019s 400-500 truckloads a day. This extra supply will bring down the local market prices. Already, traders are selling premium quality mangoes at Rs 150 per kg which seems to be a far better deal than in previous seasons,\u2019 said Sanjay Pansare, director of the APMC fruit market.
\nThe Federation of Indian Export Organisations, a government-affiliated organisation, however, said the European ban on mango imports was unjustified, according to the AFP report
\n\u2018Now all consignments are undergoing certification and testing to address the concerns,\u2019 said Rafiq Ahmed, president of the FIEO.
\n\u2018We ask the EU to look into the matter \u2014 we have taken care of the issues. Now they should lift the ban,\u2019 Ahmed said.
\nMeanwhile, a commerce ministry official told AFP that New Delhi has already raised the issue with Brussels.
\nThe EU plant health care committee announced plans last month to introduce the ban after 207 Indian consignments of fruits and vegetables were found to be contaminated by pests such as fruit flies.
\nAmong the vegetables banned are bitter gourd and eggplant.
\nThe EU said it acted to tackle what it called \u2018significant shortcomings in the phytosanitary certification system of such products exported to the EU\u2019.
\nIt noted a high number of consignments arriving with \u2018quarantine pests, mainly insects, like non-European fruit flies\u2019.
\nThough the prohibited goods account for below five per cent of the total fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the EU from India, introduction of new pests could threaten EU agriculture and production, the committee said.
\nThe ban is due to run from May 1 to December 2015 but Ahmed said the ban should be lifted earlier.
\nThe ban has enraged some in Britain, a key market for Indian growers where London\u2019s mayor Boris Johnson supported the first-ever Indian mango festival in Trafalgar Square last year.
\nIndian-origin lawmaker Keith Vaz called the mango ban \u2018Euro-nonsense and bureaucracy gone mad.\u2019
\n\u2018Indian mangoes have been imported to Britain for centuries,\u2019 Vaz said, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.
\nBut the EU ban has led to a surplus of mangoes in local Indian markets, driving down prices to the delight of local fruit lovers.
\n\u2018The export ban will definitely affect farmers and prices because the unsent mangoes will be diverted to local markets and cause a supply glut,\u2019 Miling Joshi, an official at the Mango & Cashew Board told AFP.<\/p>\n

-With New Age<\/strong> input<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A European Union ban on import of Indian mangoes, including the famed Alphonsos, from tomorrow and a resultant glut in supply is pushing down prices in the local market, reports Times of India.\u00a0Although Indian consumers are happy over the falling price, the country\u2019s farmers and exporters criticised the European ban and appealed to Brussels to … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n