The Malda administration is taking initiatives to increase the export of mangoes following a prod from chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata, at an administrative meeting here last week, had underscored steps to be taken to increase the export of the fruit grown in large quantities across the district.

“Mangoes produced in Malda have a huge market. People across Bengal and those in other states love these mangoes. You should make necessary efforts to see that the fruit is exported abroad as it can largely help growers of this region,” she said at the meeting on May 4.

Senior officials of the administration and their colleagues from the state horticulture department have lined up meetings with mango growers and trade bodies.

“At the meetings, we will explore options on how mangoes of different varieties can be exported in larger quantities,” said Nitin Singhania, the Malda district magistrate.

Sources in the horticulture department said that last year, around 10 metric tonnes of mangoes were exported to Europe from Malda.

“Another 24 metric tonnes of fruit were sent to countries like the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and other middle-eastern countries,” said Samanta Layek, a senior official of the department.

In Malda, around 3.5 lakh metric tons of mangoes are produced in a year.

Layek said that they have also communicated with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), which functions under the Union commerce and industry ministry, to boost export.

“The APEDA has developed a liaison between exporters and mango producers of the district. The producers have been apprised in detail about the quality of mangoes and parameters like whether pesticides have been used or not, things that are required for the export of the fruit,” said the official.

In Malda, there are 19 farmers-producer organisations (FPOs), out of which eight exclusively work on mangoes. “Each FPO has 600 to 750 members. They are in touch with exporters,” a source said.

According to exporters, varieties like Gopalbhog, Lyangra, Rakhalbhog, Lakshmanbhog and Fajli have high demand in export markets.

Malda's mango merchants have welcomed Mamata’s initiative.

“We are delighted that the chief minister has taken a keen interest in increasing the export of mangoes from here. This will encourage farmers to grow quality mangoes and boost the local economy,” said Ujjwal Saha, the president of the Malda Mango Merchants’ Association.