Reportedly the novel coronavirus, which has wreaked havoc in india and abroad, has not spared king of fruits, mango. With the mango season just starting, the fruit is in great demand in the gulf, european countries and America. indians staying in foreign countries wait for the mango season. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak traders are unable to send mangoes.
Out of the total production of mangoes in india, nearly 40 per cent is sent to foreign countries.In the beginning of the season, the Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) receives three to four thousand boxes daily. However, when the season is at the peak which starts in 15 days around 1 lakh boxes will come to the market every day. And if the export does restart by the peak season, it will severely affect farmers.
Reporters spoke to Sanjay Pansare, who is a trader and director of the fruit market at APMC. Pansare said, "Farmers invest a lot in mangoes. The fruit is always in high demand in foreign countries. If mangoes are not exported, farmers will suffer huge losses. At present export of mangoes through the air has been completely shut down. The other option is by sea, but that takes a lot of time." Sanjay Pansare said that even if they sent shipments via sea, there is no guarantee they will reach the destination, "In gulf countries, the ship first goes to dubai and then the goods are transferred to other countries by road. But the countries have closed their doors. So the situation looks very dangerous for the mango market."
