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BARC irradiation facility for mango exports to start operations from April 13
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Saturday, 04 April, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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In order to help boost safe mango exports in 2009, the irradiation facility of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Lasalgaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district, will start its operations from April 13. "The irradiation plant of the BARC at Lasalgaon is the only such facility for mango exports in the country. It will start operations from April 13,"a senior official at the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda), said.
Irradiation is a modern food preservation technology that can reduce the risk of food poisoning, control food spoilage and extend shelf life of food. The process got a shot in the arm when the US decided to import Indian mangoes in 2008. The US prefers irradiation to get rid of an insect pest, mango seed weevils, and fruit fly from the fruits. A US quarantine inspector, on behalf of the American importers, will be visiting the plant on April 10 to check the procedure of irradiation and also ensure that Indian mangoes do not carry any specific pest.
The BARC plant, which had a capacity of 500 tonnes, would begin irradiation of mangoes grown in the current season in the next 10 days, an Apeda official said. At present, the Alphonso variety of mangoes were being harvested in Maharashtra. Only quality fruits were irradiated for export purpose, he said.
The US is expected to buy 500 tonnes of mangoes from India, including 300 tonnes of Alphonso and 200 tonnes of Kesar. During 2008, India exported just 143 tonnes of mangoes to the US valued at Rs 2 crore.
Mango production in the 2009 season (April-September) was likely to be low as the crop had failed due to erratic climate, he said, adding that currently the crop loss cannot be quantified.
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