Malawi Mangoes to expand exports to India, EU
Malawi Mangoes (MM), the Salima-based large-scale commercial fruit farming and processing enterprise, has unveiled plans to expand its export base to European and Indian markets.
MM currently exports mango puree to Zimbabwe and South Africa.
In an interview yesterday, the firm’s general manager Charlie Leaper said, apart from expanding the export base, the company also wants to move into selling dry mangoes, rather than just focusing on fresh ones.
He said this in New Dehli, India, where he is attending the 13th Confederation for Indian Industry (CII) Exim Bank Conclave on India/Africa Project Partnership.
to grow
Leaper said this year they want to focus on producing 150 metric tonnes (MT) of fresh mangoes for export to India, but the company is currently not permitted to export to the Asian country.
It is one of the many companies in Africa affected by delays by the Indian Government to process sanitary and phyto-sanitary (SPS) certificates.
Said Leaper: “The key thing for us is to get fast access into the Indian market. Malawi being one of the least developed countries, we have a duty-free status already in place.
“So, for us, what is remaining is to convince the Ministry of Agriculture in India that we can get pest and disease-free fresh mangoes into their country.”
At the CII-Exim Bank Conclave meeting, MM is also looking for a partnership to expand commercial farms and other production-related needs.
MM has two fully irrigated farms planted with 219 hectares (ha) of a wide cultivar mix of mangoes.
According to a proposal Leaper floated at the meeting, MM has 419 ha of land and plans to expand
