South Africa has officially approved the import of various mango varieties from India, an official from India's Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) announced.
Simmi Unnikrishnan, Assistant General Manager at APEDA, made this announcement during the 'Bharat Mango Utsav 2024' event at the Indian Consulate in Johannesburg last week.
Addressing local traders and the media, Unnikrishnan said, "We received market access for mangoes last year and have now flagged off 1.5 metric tonnes of mangoes from Gujarat to South Africa."
Attendees sampled several Indian mango varieties brought in for the occasion, including Alfonso, Totapuri, Rajapuri, Badami, Kesar, and Neelam.
India is the world's largest mango producer, contributing 50 per cent of global production. In comparison, South Africa accounts for 17 per cent of the world's mangoes.
Unnikrishnan appealed to traders to support the import and popularisation of Indian mangoes in South Africa.
"It was challenging to obtain permission from the South African government. There was a period of analysis, as these mangoes come after irradiation treatment," Unnikrishnan explained.
Consul General Mahesh Kumar highlighted the effort involved in gaining market access, stressing the potential for Indian mangoes to be available year-round in South Africa due to opposite growing seasons in the hemispheres.
"A lot of effort has gone into getting this market access, so if we can import it and familiarise people, we will be able to have data from next year about how much we will be able to sell in the South African market," Kumar said.
Pranav Khattar, a leading distributor of Indian food products in South Africa, expressed his satisfaction with the development.
"We are very happy that mangoes are now officially allowed. Mango is famous all over the world, not just in India. Now we will get in touch with the South African government about the duty and VAT so that we can start importing in the next season," he said.
Khattar anticipated high demand for Indian mangoes from Indian expat communities in South Africa and neighbouring countries such as Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
He noted that pricing would be determined after assessing freight costs, taxes, and related matters, but expressed confidence in the competitiveness of Indian mangoes.
India’s Kesar and Alfonso mangoes are expected to be priced similarly to South Africa's premium Heidi mangoes, while other varieties will be more affordable, Khattar added.
Khattar also mentioned that Indian mango pulp has been available in South Africa for years, used widely in Indian restaurants for mango juice and mango lassi.
Unnikrishnan assured potential South African importers of detailed information about Indian exporters from mango-producing states to facilitate agreements.
Kumar agreed on the mutual benefits of market access, noting, "The market access benefits our farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to double the income of every farmer, so it would be nice for our mango growers to also benefit from this market."
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