ICAR-CISH-APEDA sea route protocol enables export of 12.5 tonnes of Dashehari and Langra mangoes to Dubai

📌 Summary:

• 12.5 tonnes of premium Dashehari and Langra mangoes were exported from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to Dubai (UAE) by sea in a 40-foot reefer container, using a sea-route export protocol jointly developed by ICAR-CISH (Lucknow) and APEDA
• Fruits were treated with METWASH (an ICAR-CISH technology to extend shelf life), scientifically graded, packed at the Amroha Pack House and shipped under a continuous cold chain to the Lulu Group retail chain
• Despite Western Disturbance-related delays, the consignment reached in a 25-day harvest-to-market transit, with nearly 90% of the mangoes in good marketable condition on arrival
• Because sea freight is far cheaper than air freight, exporters could pay higher procurement prices, giving mango growers an extra Rs 15-20 per kg over conventional export channels
• This is the first successful commercial sea shipment of Dashehari and Langra mangoes from UP to Dubai over such an extended transit, opening a sustainable, cost-effective pathway to expand India's fresh-mango exports to the Gulf and beyond

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Economy — agri-exports, post-harvest technology, farmer-income enhancement and cost-effective logistics for perishable horticulture

📝 Prelims Facts:

• ICAR-CISH = Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, Lucknow; APEDA = Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority
• METWASH is an ICAR-CISH post-harvest treatment to extend mango shelf life
• Reefer container = refrigerated container maintaining a cold chain during transit

🔑 Key Term: Reefer container — a temperature-controlled shipping container that preserves perishable produce along the cold chain