It's been a challenging season for the Indian mangoes so far, says Sourabh Jaiswal, Business Development Manager for Indian produce exporter KK Star: "The mango season in India has been progressing slower than anticipated. We've had to deal with multiple challenges, such as increasingly harsh weather conditions and potential USA tariffs, which created uncertainty in the market. However, today we received the news that there is now a 90-day relief on these tariffs, but this doesn't take away all of the uncertainty."
© KK Star
Dealing with both heavy rains as well as extreme heat has resulted in lower production for the mangoes in India, Jaiswal explains. "Looking at the weather conditions specifically, several mango production areas in Maharashtra & Gujarat have experienced unexpected rainfall. The extreme heat in urban areas is creating challenges in maintaining the required temperature during the logistical operation. Overall, the mango production volumes are noticeably lower compared to previous seasons. While demand is gradually increasing, we face significant challenges across various markets. The European Union markets present ongoing regulatory complexities, the earlier mentioned uncertainty when it comes to the U.S. markets as well as Middle Eastern markets having become increasingly competitive with price-driven competition."
Although the tariffs are currently paused, the threat of these tariffs is enough to scare any mango exporter in India. Jaiswal emphasizes: "If the potential US tariffs would go into full effect, this would significantly impact both our export business and India's agricultural sector as a whole. If implemented, our mango prices would increase by approximately $9 USD per unit compared to last year, when agricultural products faced no import tariffs. And final prices already had a small increase, due to more rigorous sorting and grading, while maintaining similar base prices to last year."
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"We're keeping a close eye on the mango season and are still hoping for a successful outcome, not only for us, but for all exporters. Any setback could significantly impact India's agricultural sector and future mango seasons. Though the USA market is challenging, we're actively growing our exports in other high-demand markets, like Singapore, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where the demand for fresh Indian mangoes is rising," Jaiswal concludes.
For more information:
Sourabh Jaiswal
KK Star
Tel: +91 8879746848
exports.kkstar@gmail.com
www.kkstar.in