FRUIT exporters and importers from Britain and India attended a meeting hosted by UK environment minister Lord de Mauley today as both countries hope to resolve the EU ban on import of the Indian Alphonso.
India's deputy high commissioner to the UK, Dr Virander Paul as well as regulators from the department of food, environment and rural affairs (Defra) and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) were also present at the round table discussion.
“The British government values the bilateral trade with India and is willing to support Indian regulators and the exporters and importers with technical assistance and collaborations with British regulators,” said Lord de Mauley, parliamentary under-secretary of state for natural environment and science.
“The ability to overturn the ban is with the EU commission and such decision will be taken after the FVO (Food and Veterinary Office) visit to India in September 2014. The intention is to work with all the stakeholders to get the processes right so the ban sanctioned till December 2015 is lifted sooner,” he added.
Defra said it agreed to help discussions between the European Commission and Indian regulators about changes required to enable import of the fruit. It also agreed to provide training and technical advice to Indian authorities and exporters in the EU on procedures and certification requirements.
The FVO is due to visit India in September.
Indian and UK industry representatives, led by Monica Bhandari of Fruity Fresh (Western) Limited, highlighted the sudden nature of the ban and the impact it has had on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK and in India.
Bhandari said: "This meeting has been a positive step forward, with Lord de Mauley and his team agreeing to facilitate positive discussions and action on this issue.
"We hope that with the help of Fera and Defra and measures put in place by the Indian authorities, we will be able to achieve a successful FVO visit in September, minimal interceptions of goods coming into the EU and the common goal of the ban being lifted," Bhandari said.
Representatives from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (FICCI) and Fresh Produce Consortium also attended the meeting.
Gunveena Chadha, director and head of CII in the UK, said: "EU authorities ban on imports of Indian mangoes without any meaningful official consultation with India has raised severe concerns in India.
"While the government authorities in India have already implemented a new system to improve certificates and standards and experts are looking at options of hot water dipping treatment to manage contamination of the fruit, the Industry is of the view that this treatment affects the taste of the fruit.
"Besides, the cost of infrastructure required for this treatment is prohibitive, especially for small exporters. CII suggests bilateral consultation between EU and India as the way forward to work out a proper mechanism to deal with the problem."
Sidharth Birla, president of FICCI, added: "The ban imposed by the EU on the import of selected fruits and vegetables from India was an unfortunate development. We welcome the talks with the UK government to deal with such a situation through discussion.
"In particular, we welcome the willingness to provide technical assistance to Indian exporters where required and put a renewed emphasis on clear communication channels."
The UK imports £6.3-million worth of Indian mangoes per year; it is estimated that the British mango market is worth £68 million.
Non-European food pests were found in 207 shipments of fruit and vegetables in 2013.
The ban also includes aubergines, two types of squash, and a type of leaf called patra used in cooking and has triggered worldwide protests, with an online e-petition urging the EU to reverse the decision.
