Asian business group hails lifting of Indian mango ban by EU

LONDON: An Asian business association in the UK has welcomed EU's decision to lift the ban on import of mangoes from India and thanked the British lawmakers for their support. "On behalf of the exporters, importers, wholesalers, retailers and above all the farmers in India and the consumers in the UK, I am humbly indebted to the politicians like Jon Ashworth, Keith Vaz, Seema Malhotra and Neena Gill for their support and advocacy" said Uday Dholakia, Chairman of the National Asian Business Association.

"Above all I remain very grateful to Lord de Mauley and Defra for their meaningful engagement with the business communities in the UK via several round table meetings and their dialogue with Indian and European regulators. The vote at EU Standing Committee yesterday was unanimous, a testimony of the support from the UK regulators" Dholakia said.

The EU decided to lift a seven-month-long ban on the import of mangoes from India yesterday after the world's biggest producer made significant improvements in plant health controls and certification system, clearing the way for them to return to the 28-member bloc by March.

The Experts from the UK Government's Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate worked with the Indian authorities to help them prepare for an EU audit of their export system, which led to the EU Plant health Standing Committee voting to lift restrictions much earlier than expected.

The UK voted in favour of lifting the ban, together with other member states. This means that imports of Alphonso mangoes and other varieties of the fruit grown in India will soon resume" said Uday.

Minister for the Natural Environment, Lord de Mauley, said: "We have been working closely with our Indian and European counterparts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and I am pleased that trade in mangoes will resume."

"The decision demonstrates the marked improvements India has made to its export system and it is important that these standards are maintained so that trade can continue and UK plant health remains protected," Mauley said.

"I am very pleased that the UK has been able to play its part in supporting India through this period, including through technical assistance provided by Defra's Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate," Mauley said.

NABA deals with regional business associations on issues related to legislations and government ties.