India’s Northern Finest Mango Varieties Make Historic Debut in European Markets

The Indo-German Cooperation on Agricultural Market Development (AMD) Project, in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), spearheads a significant milestone in exporting Indian mangoes. For the first time, mango varieties such as Dashehari, Malda, and Chausa from North India are being exported to Europe, meeting stringent EU food safety standards.

On 14 June 2024, a consignment of these premium mangoes was dispatched from Delhi Airport to Amsterdam, intended for a Belgian importer. Upon arrival in Amsterdam, the mangoes were distributed to 20 different retail locations in Belgium. This marks a notable achievement for the Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) involved, who have been meticulously trained in producing and harvesting mangoes to meet the high-quality standards demanded by the European market.

Historically, only small quantities of Indian mangoes, predominantly the Alphonso variety from the West Coast, have made their way to Europe due to stiff competition from African and South American exporters. The Indo-German AMD project aims to change this by promoting the visibility and export potential of North India's mangoes.

To celebrate and promote this significant export venture, an event titled “Export Debut of India’s Finest Mangoes to Europe” was held at the German Embassy in New Delhi on June 27, 2024. The event sought to:

1. Showcase the unique mango varieties from North India to European markets.

2. Boost the export promotion of these mangoes to the EU.

The event, attended by participants from various EU countries, featured representatives from APEDA and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare from India. It served as a platform to kickstart efforts to increase mango exports from India to Europe, beyond the scope of this project.

AMD Project: A Vision for Sustainable Agricultural Growth

The AMD Project, a bilateral cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) of Germany and India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has been instrumental in this initiative. Key participants include GFA (Consulting Group – General Agent of BMEL), ADT Project Consulting, AFC (Agriculture & Finance Consultants), NIAM (National Institute of Agricultural Marketing), and the Ministry of Commerce in India.

Running from August 2021 to August 2025, the project aims to support the sustainable economic growth of India’s agricultural sector and improve rural livelihoods. Key objectives include modernizing agricultural markets, enhancing export potential, and integrating FPOs into sustainable market-oriented value chains. The project's efforts encompass creating a technical dialogue platform, providing training and capacity building, and developing expertise in tapping export markets, particularly for EU-bound agricultural products.

Selected pilot products under this project include cumin and coriander from Rajasthan, mangoes and chili from Uttar Pradesh, and turmeric and ginger from Odisha.

By facilitating trial shipments of fresh fruits and spices to Europe, the Indo-German AMD project, along with APEDA and the Spices Board of India, is working towards enabling FPOs to meet international food safety standards and access global markets effectively.