CM Stalin writes to PM on Mango Farmers’ Issue

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin urged the Union Government to ensure that packaged juice manufacturing industries strictly followed the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), particularly the one on mango fruit based beverage manufacturers maintaining 18 per cent to 20 per cent pulp content in their products, and to develop necessary infrastructure for mango processing.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Stalin said he wanted his intervention of the Union Government to avert a crisis like that one that happened last year when farmers cultivating ‘processable’ varieties of Mangoes were severely affected due to a steep price fall, coupled with low off-take of Mango pulp.

Tamil Nadu’s mango export policy focused on enhancing export of table varieties and diversifying the Mango product basket, he said, adding that it could be achieved only by creating required infrastructure and streamlining processes to comply with export standards.

Such measures were expected to add greater value to Mangoes and reduce overdependence on pulp industries, he said and referred his earlier letter to the Prime Minister, dated June 24, seeking the union government’s intervention to alleviate the problems of mango farmers and mango processors during the present mango season.

‘I have mentioned that content of fruit pulp in mango juice is decided by the packaged juice manufacturing companies without following the norms of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’ and had requested the Union Government to issue directions to ensure that the FSSAI standards were strictly followed by the packaged juice manufacturing industries in mixing fruit pulp in the beverages, he said.

Since no positive response on the same had been received, considering the welfare of Mango farmers and in the interest of large number of consumers of the beverage in the country, Stalin wanted fruit based beverage manufacturing industries to ensure at least 18%-20% pulp content in Mango beverages to increase the pulp off take that would also improve the quality of the beverage.

To further strengthen these efforts, he requested the Union Government’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to extend necessary support to Tamil Nadu by way of development of infrastructure like Integrated Pack Houses, Inland Container Depots, Cold ports, QualityTesting Laboratories, organising Buyer Seller meets, identifying prospective overseas buyers and conducting capacity-building programmes on export standards.

‘Your timely and kind intervention in this issue will not only safeguard the interests of Mango farmers but will also significantly contribute to the national economy through enhanced exports and value addition,’ Stalin said.