Fruitless Journey: Indian Mangoes Dumped in US Due to Form Fumble

A significant blow has fallen on Indian mango exporters with US officials denying at least 15 shipments of mangoes over documentation mistakes in connection with mandatory irradiation procedures. Even though the fruit was irradiated as per the required procedure in Mumbai, under the watchful eye of a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officer, the shipments were rejected at major US airports like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

Key Highlights:

The problem was not one of quality or safety of the mangoes but one of discrepancies in paperwork-the PPQ203 form, confirming the fruit has been effectively irradiated to kill pests and improve shelf life. 

Traders had only two choices: have the perishable cargo destroyed in the US or re-export it back to India. All opted for destruction, as it cited the prohibitive cost and logistical nightmare of sending the fruit back.

The mangoes that were damaged had undergone treatment in a USDA-certified facility in Navi Mumbai, and the exporters assert that the irradiation procedure was done and certified, as needed.

Exporters put losses at around $500,000 from the rejected shipments.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) admitted the incident but referred questions to Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), which runs the irradiation plant. MSAMB has not yet commented publicly.

This episode highlights the imperative need for impeccable documentation in global trade, particularly for fast-decaying goods such as mangoes.

The incident occurs at a time when the US has become India's largest export market for mangoes, which makes the disruption acutely critical for producers and exporters.

Sources: The Economic Times