SOURCE: Hindustan Times
Lucknow’s ICAR- Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) has developed a technology which can extend the shelf life of the fruit, helping it reach European and Russian shores. The king of fruit is highly perishable and is usually exported to these places via the sea route, leading to major losses.
However, news of the said technology was not received well by the mango farmers of UP’s Malihabad belt as the institute selected some ‘progressive exporters’ from Saharanpur and Meerut among other places whose produce will be exported to Russia and Europe. They expressed doubts about the efficacy of the technology and displeasure at the fact that they had not been talked to while it was being developed.
“The Institute has developed CISH-Metwash and ethylene absorbent technology to extend the shelf life up to 35 days and control post-harvest fruit diseases,” said T Damodaran, director, ICAR-CISH, Lucknow.
The development was revealed at a meeting of all stakeholders (exporters, farmers, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and ICAR-CISH on January 9, in New Delhi.
The institute claimed that after a series of experiments, the technology combining the two processes, maintains the fruit at 17°C throughout the supply chain and will provide a shelf life of 35 days. A certain kind of paper will be fixed in every box that will absorb the ethylene which is released from the fruit, which helps it to ripen.
Sea route protocol finalised, AI technology to manage export
The plan for mango export from U.P. to Europe and beyond via the sea route has also been finalised with the cooperation of APEDA and the state government.
Damodaran said that the major bottleneck in export by sea route was the limited shelf life of mangoes, but with this technology it has been resolved and supplies to the European market are being facilitated. “A protocol has been prepared for it. It will take 32-34 days from harvesting to distribution for sale,” he added.