India asks EU to lift mango ban, quality checks in place
03 May 2014
bdnews24.com :
New Delhi has asked the European Union to lift a ban on Indian mangoes, as the country has already addressed the issue cited by the 28-nation bloc in a clampdown on shipments from next month, Reuters has reported.
The EU informed India in March that shipments of premium Alphonso mangoes would be blocked from May until December 2015 after authorities in Brussels found consignments infested with fruit flies.
"Since we got to know about the issue in March, we've put in place an elaborate examination and certification procedure that addresses the issue raised by the EU," said Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), a body affiliated with the trade ministry.
Besides mangoes, four vegetables, aubergine, the taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd, were also banned, according to PTI.
India exports 16 million mangoes every year to the UK, its largest market for vegetables in the EU.
