The state has set a target to export 20,000 tonne branded mangoes for the season and identified Hyderabad and Vijayawada as the centres for setting up tailor made infrastructure, AR Sukumar, director Horticulture told The Financial Express. While the state produces close to 2000 varieties of mango, 200 of these are more popular with Banganpally being the most sought after and as popular as the Alphonso variety from Maharashtra. However, the export of the Banganpally variety has not been so successful mostly due to the scant attention paid to the quality aspect necessary to tap the foreign markets, he felt.

Andhra Pradesh produces three million tonne of mango every year while the total mango production in the country is estimated at 10 million. The productivity perhectare in the state at 12 tonne each is also higher than the national average of ten tonne per hectare, he said.

However, it is much lower than the 40 tonne per hectare produced by countries like Israel and the state government is putting in every effort to reach these levels, he said.

Sukumar said the government was moving away from the subsidy oriented approach to a more commercial orientation to put the horticulture sector on a commercially viable path, he said.

Towards this end, small and marginal farmers were being trained in better farm practices and make them more commercially aware.