Mahilabad (Uttar Pradesh) : Malihabad town in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow district is famous for its “Dasheri” mangoes, and now has emerged as hub for its green chillies.
Mango Pack House in this town, which is located about 55 kilometers from state capital Lucknow, is now exporting green chillies to Europe. Nearly 2.5 tons of this product is being exported to Europe on a daily basis. According to those involved with the export of green chillies, places like Germany, UK, Italy and the Netherlands have placed orders for the product.
An export house in Mumbai threw some more light on this. Its assistant managing director, Ramanand Varayi said, “The demand for Mahilabad’s green chillies in Europe is huge. These chillies are beautiful in colour, long, not very spicy and have a long shelf life. Mango Pack House has been sending Mahilabad’s famed mangoes, and this is the first consignment of green chillies that his going to Europe to Mumbai from Lucknow’s Amausi Airport.”
This is mango season in Mahilabad, but farmers here are also actively involved in the cultivation and growing of green chillies, that too of exportable quality. Villages like Rehmankheda, Kakori, Kash Mandi, Sohranvan Kheda and Badi Kurd are forwarding their respective consignments of green chillies to the Mumbai-based export house for onward delivery to foreign locales.
Mahilabad’s access to foreign countries has raised the hope of its farming community, as they are not at the mercy of wholesale markets and can grow the product on their land and ferry it conveniently to destinations outside the boundaries of their villages without hindrance.
Mango Pack House manager Mohsin Khan told ANI that the Uttar Pradesh government needs to credited with bring Mahilabad on the international map through the export of both mangoes and green chillies.
He said that Mango Pack House has been given the certification and license to expand its exportable range to include vegetables such as bottle gourd, apple gourd and ridge gourd. The export of these vegetables has provided improved incomes for the farmers of Mahilabad.
He said that Mango Pack House takes great care when it comes to the packaging of these products that are being exported. (ANI)