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West Bengal-based companies like Keventers Agro, which makes the drink — Frooti — had to source its mangoes from outside the State since they were unable to use mangoes produced here.

A woman looking at a prize-winning mango variety at a mango show in Kolkata on Friday.

KOLKATA, June 13

AN exercise is underway to rejuvenate the old mango orchards in West Bengal so as to increase production of new varieties like `Lakshmanbhog', which can be the State's answer to `Alphonso' of Maharashtra.

The region's first National Mango Show, which was inaugurated here on Friday, provided the perfect backdrop for discussions on ways and means of improving the yield and pre- and post-harvest practices of the farmers of West Bengal, where 40 per cent of the total area under fruit crops is accounted for by mango.

However, very few of the orchards produce good export quality fruit. With an output of 5.85 lakh tonnes the State ranks seventh in the country in mango production.

A State Government official said the first crop of the new variety — Lakhsmanbhog — was expected soon and will offer good pulp and colour. The show has been organised jointly by the Agri Horticultural Society of India and the West Bengal Government.

Addressing a press conference, the State Minister for Horticulture and Food Processing Industries, Mr Sailen Sarkar, said that a number of schemes were being taken up to pep up the mango export scene.

These included supply of high-yielding improved varieties of mango plants, rejuvenation of orchards, financial assistance for good quality nursery and farmers' training.

He said that an agri export zone for mango cultivation, covering Malda and Murshidaba — the two main areas — has been set up.

He felt the mango show would provide a good exposure for the State growers providing them an opportunity to interact with other mango-growing States.

Participants at this three-day exposition include Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand.

A total of 75 varieties of mangoes are being exhibited by more than 115 competitors with 525 entries. The Minister said that although mangoes from West Bengal are exported they fetched low value as they could be utilised mainly for pickle-making and even State-based companies like Keventers Agro which makes the drink — Frooti — had to source its mangoes from outside the State since they were unable to use mangoes produced here.

Mr Ranjit Mondal, regional manager, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, said that lack of uniformity of size and consistency was among the problems faced by growers here.

APEDA has already held five international mango shows this season mostly in Western countries and one more was yet to be held.

He said that while 33,331 tonne of mango, valued at Rs 71.5 crore was exported in 1999-2000 the volume of exports increased to over 37,000 tonne in 2000-01 but the value dropped to Rs 68 crore since a bulk of it was from West Bengal which is exported to Bangladesh and fetches a poor price. In 2001-02 the volume increased to 44,429 metric tons entailing an earning of Rs 80 crore.

The State Industries and Commerce Minister, Mr Nirupam Sen, said that with agribusiness being identified as the potential growth engine for the state, a road map has to be drawn up for its development.

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