INDIAN HOUSE WIFE'S EXPRESSED THANKS TO EUROPEAN UNION TO BANNING MANGO IMPORTS TILL DECEMBER 2015
People in the country are not unhappy about
the EU ban as mangoes are aplenty at affordable rates.As this
year’s British summer goes without Alphonso mangoes from India, Voice of America
(VoA), in its Saturday edition of Learning English Highlights, focused on the
‘mango tango’ between India and the European Union (EU).
The VoA bulletin says India and the EU are involved in a trade
tussle over mangoes, with the latter banning mango imports till December 2015.But
people in India are not complaining as the ban has led to a flood of the prized
Alphonso mango variety in local markets and a sharp fall in prices.
This mango variety is usually so costly that it is out of reach
of middleclass households. “I am absolutely delighted. We can have our fill of
it, I can’t believe it,” the bulletin quotes a housewife in Delhi.VoA says the
housewife ‘can thank a tiny fruit fly’ for that. The EU imposed an 18-month ban
on Indian mangoes along with a few other vegetables after finding fruit flies
in some of the produce.A consignment of export quality Alphonso mangoes, meant
for the European markets, had reached Kochi too, fruit traders there said
adding that the lot was sold out in two days. Attempts to get the same quality
again did not succeed. When the ban came into effect on May 1, prices of
Alphonso mango hit a low in nearly 20 years. It was selling at about $2.50 to
$4 a kg, which is half its usual price.
Alphonso mango, known as ‘the king of mangoes,’ is popular from
Japan to Europe. Its popularity raised the price and forced most Indians to
look for other affordable varieties.“We are not worried about the prices. What
we are worried is we are going to lose the European market, which is the main
problem,” the bulletin quotes Alphonso exporters.Officials in New Delhi have
urged the EU to reconsider the ban. This is not the first time that the mango
has been involved in high-level diplomacy. Indian officials often present the
prized fruit to foreign leaders.The VoA bulletin ends by saying that in 2006
India and the United States struck what is now known as the “mangos for bikes
deal.”
Prof. John Kurakar
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