Malda's famed Himsagar mangoes are facing significant challenges as dark spots due to weather-induced disease have cast uncertainty over export shipments. According to reports from The Times of India, exporters indicate that a major portion of the fruit may no longer meet overseas quality standards due to these conditions. The issue stems from continuous rainfall during the bagging stage of cultivation, followed by periods of high temperatures, which led to the appearance of dark spots on the surface of the mangoes. As per PTI, efforts to address the problem of dark spots on bagged Himsagar mangoes have failed, rendering many of the fruits unsuitable for exports or for sale through organised retail chains.
The disease outbreak has already resulted in practical export losses, as reported by The Times of India. Prasun Chitlangia, co-founder of Shrishti Food Products, explained that their planned one-tonne consignment of Himsagar mangoes to the United States would have been rejected by the importer. "We were supposed to send the first consignment of mangoes to the US this week. We feared dark spots on the fruits, and it has come true," Chitlangia stated, noting that adverse weather during the growing season was responsible for the situation. He attributed the problem to continuous rain during the bagging period followed by high temperatures, leading to the situation being described as bad with a large number of export orders at risk.
Despite the current challenges, the district had set ambitious export targets for the season. As reported by The Times of India, exporters and officials had set an ambitious target of increasing mango and litchi exports from the district to more than 300 metric tonnes this season. Earlier estimates by exporters had projected mango exports from the district at between 300 and 500 metric tonnes, representing a substantial increase from the nearly 15 metric tonnes shipped to five countries last year. The export basket was expected to feature premium varieties such as Himsagar, Langra, Lakshman Bhog and Amrapali, along with litchis. According to PTI, despite the disease-related setback, overseas demand for premium Malda mangoes remains strong, and efforts are continuing to identify export-worthy fruits from unaffected orchards.
Despite the disease concerns, industry leaders maintain optimism about the season's prospects. According to The Times of India, Malda Mango Merchants Association president Ujjal Saha expressed confidence, stating that "there have been reports of disease in around 15 per cent of the bagged fruits, but nearly three lakh more bagged mangoes are still available and can be exported. Orders for Himsagar mangoes continue to remain strong." The state horticulture department and exporters have been encouraging export-oriented cultivation practices, including fruit bagging, good agricultural practices (GAP), scientific harvesting and improved post-harvest handling to ensure better fruit quality and compliance with international standards. As per PTI, officials had distributed around 2.5 lakh fruit bags among growers and were monitoring 50-60 orchards following export-compliant cultivation practices.
