Come February, India will begin exporting mangoes to the US after a gap of two years and also start shipping pomegranates two months after. In turn, Washington will send cherries and alfalfa hay following an agreement with New Delhi on increased agriculture market access.
The move could see India's popular varieties such as 'Alphanso' 'Dussehri' and 'Langda' find space in US stores once again. In the past two years, exports of mangoes to the US have not taken place due to the absence of physical inspection by American inspectors, who could not travel due to the Covid pandemic.
Fruits meant for export to the US have to undergo irradiation under which fruits are exposed to rays of a weak radioactive element. US phytosanitary inspectors fly down to India to monitor the process after which clearance is given for exports.
In the case of mangoes, the export to the US started only in 2007 and picked up pace after 2011. Major exporting states to the US are Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
Nearly 50,000 metric tonnes of mangoes are exported from India to the globe each year. Out of this, about 1,300 tonnes reach the USA.
"Department of Agriculture and farmer’s welfare (DAC&FW) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a framework agreement for implementing the 2 Vs 2 Agri market access issues i.e inspection/oversight transfer for Indian mangoes & pomegranate and market access for pomegranate arils from India and market access for US cherries and US Alfalfa hay," the commerce and industry ministry said.
Mango and pomegranate exports will start from January- February 2022 and pomegranate aril exports from Apr 2022. Exports of Alfalfa hay and cherries from the USA will begin in April 2022.
In addition, based on the ministerial discussions, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) also conveyed its readiness to provide market access for US pork and requested the US side to share a signed copy of a final sanitary certificate for finalising the same.
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