Baruipur’s GI-tagged guavas to ‘debut in Singapore market’

Kolkata: Regular commuters in trains of the Sealdah South Section or markets particularly in South 24-Parganas close to Baruipur have surely heard a catchline from sellers selling guavas, “’Baruipur-er Peyara Kheley Hobe Chehara’ (You will have a good physique if you eat guava from Baruipur). However, from now, the residents of Singapore have also started relishing the Baruipur guava with a farmer producers’ company (FPO) beginning to export the juicy guava that has already received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag to foreign country. The export window has opened up with the assistance from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), with the FPO sending the best quality guava after thorough sorting. Recently, a consignment of 500 kg was sent to a leading fruit businessman of Singapore.

“The feedback has been encouraging, and the export window has opened up. We have developed the linkage between the exporter from Singapore and here. Presently, guavas from Baruipur are being exported on a regular basis,” said Sitakanta Mandal Regional Head of APEDA. According to sources, the farmers have been trained for the production of guavas of international standard, keeping their food value very much inherent . Experts from the state Horticulture department have been closely monitoring the cultivation of guava for the last few months. According to a senior official from APEDA , the quarantine certification test is conducted before export to ensure that the fruits are of good quality. He added that the export norms are not very strict in countries like Singapore. The farmers have been advised by APEDA to ensure that the international export materials are of the best quality and international standards, as the reputation of the state and the country as well is associated with it. They should remain very careful and understand that international export is much more serious than export within the state or country. The size, weight, and most importantly, it should be ensured that there is no worm inside the fruit. “The farmers’ hard work would be rewarded in the best possible manner with the increase of demand in the international market,” added the official.