Saving Rs 92/kg! Lucknow mangoes set sail for a 22-day journey to sweeten-up Italy!

In a first of its kind move to promote exports from North India, a trial shipment of 10 tonnes of mangoes (North Indian mango variety of Chausa) was sent by sea to Italy on Monday this week. The shipment was dispatched from Uttar Pradesh Mandi Parishad Pack House, Malihabad, Lucknow to Italy. This is the first time that mangoes have been sent via sea. The trial, if successful, could save up to Rs 92/kg in transportation costs! Exporting mangoes to Europe by sea costs Rs 28 per kilogram, while airfreight costs Rs 120 per kilogram, according to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The trial shipment has been financially supported by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. 

The Ministry said in an official statement that the shipment is the result of the first international Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet (RBSM) organized in Lucknow on 26 and 27 June 2019 by APEDA. 
22-day Journey! 

Mango shipment from Lucknow to Italy being flagged off from Malihabad Mandi. Image source: PIB

The consignment was sent from Lucknow to Pipavav Port, Gujarat, by road through the reefer container. It will reach Italy via Spain. The total voyage time will be approximately 20-22 days from Lucknow to Italy.

The Ministry said that generally mangoes are exported from Uttar Pradesh by air and costs are high for goods to be transported from Lucknow to Europe. Due to this problem, although Uttar Pradesh has good quality mangoes. But due to limited flights available from Lucknow and high rates of air freight it was not viable to export mangoes by air. 

"Exporting mangoes to Europe by sea costs Rs. 28 per kilogram, while airfreight costs Rs. 120 per kilogram," it said.

"India’s agricultural exports from hinterland areas is limited due to structural challenges in cold chain logistics. To overcome this problem, new scientific techniques are being used by exporters to improve the shelf life of mangoes," it added.