CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct the mango fruit-based beverage manufacturing industries to ensure a pulp content of at least 18%-20% in mango beverages, aiming to increase the pulp off-take and improve the quality of the beverage.
The CM, in his letter to the PM dated October 10, also urged the latter to instruct the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to extend necessary support to Tamil Nadu by way of development of infrastructure like integrated pack houses, inland container depots, cold ports, quality testing laboratories, organising buyer-seller meets, identifying prospective overseas buyers and conducting capacity-building programmes on export standards.
Recalling his earlier letter, the CM said he had mentioned that the farmers cultivating processable varieties of mangoes were severely affected due to a steep price fall, coupled with low off-take of mango pulp.
“The government is keen to avert such a situation of crisis for the mango growing farmers during this season,” Stalin added.
“TN’s mango export policy focuses on enhancing exports of table varieties and diversifying the mango product basket. This will be achieved by creating the required infrastructure and streamlining processes to comply with export standards. Such measures are expected to reduce overdependence on pulp industries,” the CM said.