The US rejecting mango consignments from India has led to
exporters destroying the fruits resulting in big losses, and Indian authorities have alleged that America did not follow the standard procedure. After Indian authorities faced rejection of 15 mango consignments by the US due to procedural issues, they have said that US inspectors failed to adhere to the established protocol.
Various mango varieties, such as Alphonso, Kesar, Banganapalli and Himayat, have gained access to the US market. Additionally, northern Indian varieties including Raspuri, Langra, Chausa, and Dasheri are successfully undergoing irradiation treatment for export purposes.
The value of Indian mango exports to the United States has shown significant growth, increasing by 130% to $10 million in FY24, compared to $4.36 million in 2022-23.
Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), a government organisation operating an irradiation facility in Mumbai, issued a statement on Tuesday stating: "Instead of discussing the matter with relevant agencies or notifying the facility beforehand, they (the inspectors) directly reported the alleged issues to their senior offices in the US, resulting in the rejection of the 15 consignments."
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The state organisation confirmed that US authorities had declined 25 metric tonnes of mangoes from 10 exporters, all of which underwent irradiation on May 8 and 9.
ET had reported the rejection of Indian mango shipments at several American airports, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta.
The mango shipments underwent mandatory irradiation treatment at the MSAMB facility in Navi Mumbai, where fruits were subjected to controlled radiation doses for pest elimination. This process was monitored by a USDA-appointed officer.
Several government officials reported that the staff members on duty allegedly did not properly document the dosimeter measurements. A senior MSAMB official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that an investigation had been launched to identify the issues.
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A New Delhi official told the financial daily that the Mumbai facility's irradiation operations had resumed normal functioning after the temporary interruption caused by the data recording issue.
The official stated, "While the error and its cause are being examined at the senior level by the facility management, the mango irradiation process and its clearance were normalised at the impacted facility with effect from May 10, with no impact on the other two approved facilities."
MSAMB reported that from May 11 to May 18, exports resumed their regular pace, with 53,072 boxes (185.75 metric tonnes) of mangoes shipped to the US across 39 consignments from the Mumbai facility.
The export operations are conducted under a Cooperative Service Agreement between APEDA and the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
The export protocol and operational guidelines are governed by the Irradiation operational work plan, jointly established by USDA-APHIS, the National Plant Protection Organisation (NPPO) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, and APEDA as the Co-operator. The process involves sourcing mangoes from registered farms, processing them at approved APEDA and NPPO packhouses, treating them with hot water fungicide, and finally irradiating them at USDA-certified facilities.
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