Alphonso disappears from European menus

London top chef Gordon Ramsay's feast menu will now have to go without the famous Indian Alphonso in the mango and pomegranate salad. Beginning May 1, the European Union has banned the import of the Indian alphonso mango atleast for this season. The decision, which will impact India's mango exports to 28 countries of the EU, might be reviewed before the end of 2015. The announcement of the ban has already seen the king of fruits come within reach of the masses in Maharashtra with prices dropping to less than half of their export rate at Mumbai's centralised wholesale market.

The decision to ban the Alphonso was taken after the EU authorities found fruit flies in some consignments last year. Along with the mango, the EU has also banned a few other vegetables from India. At Mumbai's APMC market, traders claim that there is an "over supply" of the mango because of the ban. With the cost of the alphonso, the most coveted mango, crashing, other varieties, too, are facing the heat of low selling prices. APEDA data shows that India exports over 55,000 tonnes of mangoes to various countries of the world. According the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, the ban for two seasons is likely to affect Maharashtra's farmers to the tune of Rs.50 to Rs.60 crore. The sudden ban has led to an uproar among traders, farmers and lawmakers with Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz even writing to the European Commission president regarding the ban.

In Mumbai's retail market, the ban had led to mangoes flooding the stores at low prices. High quality alphonso which was selling at Rs.800 - Rs.1000 per dozen only a week ago has slid to half the price now. The news comes at a time when farmers across the state are reeling under crop losses because of the unseasonal rain and hail storm that hit various regions two months ago. Estimates put the losses due to hail at Rs.10,000 crore across Maharashtra with almost 18 lakh hectares of the rabi crop, fruit orchards and vineyards having faced ruin. 

The alphonso, native to Maharashtra's coastal belt of Konkan, is among the most coveted varieties of mangoes and also the most expensive. There are two varieties of the alphonso-from Ratnagiri and from Devgad with the latter usually selling at a higher price. The alphonso is characterised by its rich yellow-orange colour and deep, sweet aromas. The extended winter delayed the arrival of the fruit in the market this year as the alphonso needs adequate heat to mature. But the recent high temperatures have led to large quantities of the fruit maturing and a sudden glut in the market. With the ban, there's even more mango in the market, bringing the aam within affordable reach of the masses.