'Emphasis on production of more export quality mangoes'

Kolkata: The state government has give thrust to produce good quality mangoes that can be exported, Subrata Mukherjee, state minister for Panchayats said on Friday. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Bengal Mango Utsav 2018 organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

The state government has initiated talks to access markets in the United Kingdom, Italy, France and other countries with the best of mangoes that are produced in Bengal. He further added that the state has different varieties of mangoes and the need-of-the-hour is proper marketing to get better price and market.

Abdur Rezzak Mollah, minister for Food Processing Industries & Horticulture said mangoes have huge potential for various food processing products. "However, we need to set up right kind of food processing units in the state and also identify the best quality mangoes for pickles, juices and other products." He further added that FPOs should be proactive in building connections between farmers and national and international buyers through participatory farming.

Bratya Basu, minister for Information Technology and Electronics, said this year Bengal has produced nearly 9 metric tonne mangoes which is a record production for the state. He also mentioned that due to government support and various policies, farmers are getting better prices and exposure to markets.