Indian Mango Season Arrives Early in USA

It’s that time of summer for all the Desis in America when they start making the rounds of Asian groceries stores to buy the fabled mangoes from the Indian subcontinent.

After the rude pandemic-induced restrictions, here comes a sweet surprise in the form of sunny mangoes from India, which would be available readily as the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) has approved to export of mangoes to America from India.

The US had stopped the import of Indian mangoes since 2020 due to the pandemic travel restrictions. USDA inspectors were not able to travel down to India to inspect the fruit, which is a mandatory step before the US government allows the import of mangoes.

The USDA approval would mean that India would be able to export mangoes to the USA from its famed mango regions such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.

Many desi grocery store owners stock mangoes in the United States to meet the demands of mango lovers. They say that customers come looking for specific types of Indian mangoes like dussehri, chausa, sindoori, or langara.

The approval came during the US TPF (Trade Policy Forum) meeting, which means procuring popular varieties of mangoes from India will be possible for importers. The US signed an agreement with India to follow a joint protocol on irradiation for India’s pomegranate and mango exports.

The United States will be importing mangoes from India in the current mango season, starting with the Alphonso. Many Indo Americans are elated with this news.

While in the US, Indian mangoes continue to be in high demand, mango traders see America as a market with huge potential. Around $4.35 million worth of mangoes were exported to the USA in 2019-20, nearly 20% up from $3.63 million in 2018-19.