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Malda mangoes for London

By Marcus Dam

KOLKATA, JUNE 11 . For the first time ever, a West Bengal Government agency — the Food Processing and Horticulture Development Corporation — is exporting mangoes to London. The first consignment of the delectable "Himsagar" variety of the fruit grown in Malda district left Kolkata this morning.

`Gerberas,' which resemble daisies with multiple hues, and tuberoses are also being exported to New York where there is a huge demand for the flowers, also grown in Thailand and Brazil.

Containers, each of which can carry 1,500 kg of flowers, are being flown out each Saturday, the exports having started only recently. This is in addition to the regular export of tuberoses by the Corporation to auction centres in Holland, including perhaps one of the largest in the world in Amsterdam. Speaking to The Hindu , the Corporation's Managing Director, N. Hazra, said that entrepreneurs from London were impressed with the Himsagar mangoes they tasted and recently finalised a deal for weekly export of the fruit to the United Kingdom.

Samples of other popular varieties of mangoes such as the Amrapalli would also be sent to London soon. Talks were on with private agencies there for the export of guavas as well as certain vegetables.

In the United States, there is a growing demand for the `gerbera', which is used for interior decoration. The flowers which grow in the hills of Kalimpong in north Bengal are also now being cultivated in poly-houses at a temperature of about 26 Celsius in the North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts, Mr. Hazra said.

To boost mango exports, a multi-purpose pack-house cooling chamber unit has been set up in Malda district at a cost of Rs 1.74 crores. It is expected to be commissioned within a few days. Fruit supplies directly from the orchards will be kept in the chambers for treatment at very low temperatures before they are packed.

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