UK importers ask government to reverse ban on Indian mangoes

Mango exporters who were upset about the ban on alphonsos from India that was imposed by the UK government this year, have now found support from UK importers themselves.

The ban on alphonso mangoes was enforced after fruit flies were found in a few imports from India. Representation pic

Importers from UK have come together to sign an e-petition, requesting their government to reverse the import ban on the fruit. According to the city exporters, UK is an immense market and the ban will not only effect them, but also the importers and distributors of UK.

Ruchi exporters at the APMC market in Vashi who have shipped 2,500 kgs of mango till date, claim they are treating every fruit with Vapour Heat Treatment (VHT). Ruchi Chaudhary Mehra said, "We have been following the norms prescribed by the UK government. We are also treating every fruit with vapour heat just to be doubly sure.

There is a big market of Indian consumers in UK who demand the fruit and if the ban comes into force, it will affect both suppliers and consumers. As only UK residents can sign the petition, we are circulating the e-petition link to all our clients in the country and requesting them to sign it."

The e-petition states that the ban was undertaken in haste, and proven treatments like hot water treatment, irradiation (approved for import in USA) and vapour heat treatment were not considered before enforcing it.
Sanjay Pansare, director of APMC fruit market, said, "The ban was enforced after fruit flies were found in a few imports from India.

We are now treating every fruit before sending the produce to stick to norms. We are supporting the e-petition and trying to circulate it to as many clients as possible. We hope the UK government considers reversing the ban."