For the pulp industry that hinges largely on Totapuri variety of mangoes for its domestic and export market, this mango season will be tough going. For one, the fall in the yield of Totapuri variety in Krishnagiri, the largest mango growing region in the State by 30% and the resultant rise in price has come to impact export orders. Secondly, the delay in the flowering of the mangoes has resulted in the slowed harvest. This has meant, the industry is yet to know the availability of the fruits and the pricing of the fruits.
Speaking to The Hindu , D. Mathiazhagan, president, Pulp Producers Association of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, said, it is competitive for the exporters only if the price of the fruit is reasonable.
The pulp concentrates are primarily exported to West Asia. “China has emerged as a new market, where Indian mangoes are a huge hit. We are hoping that the demand for pulp from Iran would be affected due to the looming uncertainty in the region,” says Mr. Mathiazhagan.
However, he concedes that the pulp industry largely relies on the domestic market, which is steady irrespective of the prices. However, for the pulp industry, the price of mangoes will have to be remunerative eventually, he says.
Last year the price of a fruit was ₹6, which covered the volume of the big buyers.
“Besides, the big buyers will only buy if there is a low stock or no stock with them. Otherwise, it is easy to replace mango pulp with the pulp of some other fruit,” says Mr. Mathiazahgan.
For the industry, only 10% of mangoes are the Alphonsa variety, which is the expensive one.
The remaining 90% are Totapuri mangoes. However, the fall in Totapuri yield to 30% of the regular yield has meant higher price for mangoes.
“If the fruit price is within ₹10 to ₹12, it is remunerative for the pulp buyers in the importing countries. Or else, they would easily shift to other fruits for this year,” says Mr. Mathiazahgan,
Of the total production of 10 lakh to 14 lakh mangoes every year, more than six lakh mangoes go into the pulp industry, while two lakh to three lakh mangoes go into the pickle industry. The remaining goes into consumption.
However, this season, with the fall in yield, and the resultant increase in price, the export market is in a flux.
For now, until the fruits are harvested for the pulp industry, there is likely to be an uncertainty in the status of export orders for the pulp industry, which buys up a majority of the growers’ produce here.
