No mangoes in baggage to US, please: Govt

NEW DELHI: India asked passengers flying to the United States not to carry mangoes in their baggage on Thursday saying exports of the fruit to that country, opened this year to great fanfare, were limited to registered traders.   

The move to allow commercial mango exports encouraged travellers to pack personal baggage with the fruit, one of the country's favourites beloved by thousands of homesick Indians, and sparking complaints from US food authorities.   

India, the world's largest producer of the golden fruit, began exporting it to the United States in April following years of lobbying in what some analysts have called "mango diplomacy".   

Washington had refused to accept the fruit shipments because they were not irradiated to protect against fruit flies and pests. New Delhi agreed to the measures as part of ongoing moves by the two countries to forge closer ties.   

"It would like to inform the public ... only pre-cleared and certified commercial consignments of irradiated mangoes are allowed to enter the US," said the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, an Indian trade ministry body.   

"There is also a report that mango retailers have set up selling points at or near Indian airports to enable passengers carry mangoes as their personal baggage," the authority said in a newspaper advertisement.   

The opening up of mango exports to the United States was marked by high profile events in both countries with their top officials tasting the fruits and posing for pictures with them at business events.   

The US Agriculture Department has said it expects Indian mango imports could reach 2.2 million kg a year.