‘Are we eating all our mangoes’: Why despite being the largest producer of mangoes, India is able to export just 1 percent

Mango, also known as the King of Fruits is a universally loved summer fruit. From the fruit itself to the dishes made with it, this bright-yellow delight of India is known for its aroma, juicy taste, and a sense of belonging. According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) data, a single mango can provide up to 40 percent of the daily dietary fiber needs - a potent protector against heart disease, cancer and cholesterol build-up. In addition, this luscious fruit is a warehouse of potassium, beta-carotene and antioxidants. In India, mangoes are mainly grown in tropical and subtropical regions from sea level to an altitude of 1,500 m. Mangoes grow best in temperatures around 27℃. And if we talk about the standards of Indian mangoes, for maintaining the highest quality standards, State-of-the-art pack houses have been set up in major production zones. Amidst all this, a debate that often comes into picture is why despite being the largest producer of mangoes, India is able to export just 1 percent of mangoes to the world? Let us explore and understand.

According to APEDA, India is the home of about 1,000 varieties. However, only a few varieties are commercially cultivated throughout India. Most Indian mango varieties have specific eco-geographical requirements for optimum growth and yield. The Northern/Eastern Indian varieties are usually late bearing compared to Southern and Western Indian varieties. Some of the local varieties of mango bear fruits throughout the year in extreme southern parts of India. The major mango-growing states are Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in mango production with a share of 26.75% and the highest productivity in 2023-24. When we talk about the global share, India produces over 45% of the world's mangoes, making it the top global producer.

According to experts, as soon as the fruit arrives in the market, it is consumed by the local consumers. It is mentioned that India's domestic mango market is valued at roughly USD 2.90 billion (2025) and is projected to grow to USD 3.97 billion by 20230. It is also said that with its minimal export, India made $60 million in 2024, while Mexico, became the largest exporter of mangoes with $575 million in export revenue for 2023-2025 period. The key reason for exporting just 1% is our population of 1.4 billion, who create a massive market for mangoes that the marginal return on its export cannot be compared.

According to a study titled Challenges Faced by Mango Exporters, it is found that exporting perishable goods like mangoes come with a big set of challenges too. For instance, high international freight charges, difficulties in custom clearance, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, high local transportation charges, lack of standardization on post harvest handling, poor infrastructure facilities like cold storage, pack house, problem finding reliable foreign distributor, unavailability of market information, price fluctuation of the commodity, supply at home country, problems in quoting price with fluctuating exchange rates and more. The study mentions that the process in India is said to be more time-consuming and difficult than in many other countries, owing in part to a stringent documentation requirement. For each stage of the shipping process, Indian exporters must prepare many documents. These are the stages of pre-booking, booking, post-booking, and discharge. They must keep in mind that different types of cargo necessitate different types of documentation. Food and pharmaceutical products, for example, must be accompanied by health and safety certificates. It is also critical to plan of time because certification authorities at Indian ports are not available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

It can be said that somewhere it is a blend of both- demand and supply of the local Indian market and other logistical challenges which make the export process somewhat cumbersome for the Indian market.

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