Gujarat's mango growers are a happy lot today. Their produce, Kesar mangoes, are leaving Indian shores to conquer American palate on Thursday.
After its successful exports of kesar, a well-known variety produced in Saurashtra and Kutch regions, to Japan last month, the state-owned Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation is all set to export fresh kesar mangoes to the US.
GAIC exported kesar to Japan after the latter lifted ban on import of mangoes on the condition that the fruit is vapour-heat-treated. To maintain hygienic quality as per international standards, GAIC decided to set up its own VHT plant at a cost of Rs 11 crore at Naroda in Ahmedabad. The plant would start functioning by November 2007.
To begin with, GAIC would export 1,000 boxes of one dozen each (approximately 3 kg) through the Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority approved Desai Fruits & Vegetable Pack House, Navsari. These mangoes were formally exported to the US from the Ahmedabad international airport on Thursday.
The GAIC had sent the consignment to BARRC plant at Lasangaon in Nashik for Gamma irradiation. After the process, the consignment was brought to Ahmedabad and kept in cold storage. The consignment was sent to Mumbai on Thursday and from there it will leave for the US on June 15.
Earlier, the corporation had exported approximately 600 kg of kesar mangoes to Japan on May 5.
