Officials in India and the United Kingdom are hailing the beginning of a new chapter of trade between the two countries with the commencement of the first-ever mango pulp exports from Tirupati to the UK. In light of the recently forged India-UK FTA, the first container carrying mango pulp from the city in Andhra Pradesh was flagged off for export to the UK on Monday.

Top government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, have since touted the boost in trade relations between India and the UK on social media.

Before the FTA was set in motion, official data – as quoted by PIB – revealed that India exports agricultural products worth more than $57 billion globally. UK’s global agricultural and processed food imports are worth $90 billion. However, India’s exports to the UK so far have only been worth $1.11 billion, signalling severely untapped export potential, especially since the UK is a high-value market for Indian products like tea, mangoes, grapes, spices, and marine products.

ALSO READ

Tirupati begins first mango pulp export to the UK

RP Naidu, regional assistant general manager of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority; Phani Kiran, deputy director general of foreign trade; horticulture joint director Devamuni Reddy and Tirupati district horticulture officer Jayabharath Reddy flagged off the first-ever mango pulp export container from Tirupati to the UK this week. It was exported by Tirupati-based Sri Varsha Foods, opening a new avenue for exports of products from Andhra Pradesh.

Tirupati district horticulture officer Jayabharath Reddy said the coordination among farmers, processors and exporters would help boost horticulture and exports from the state, as cited by the Deccan Chronicle. He also said that such breakthroughs will promote food processing units in the country to explore international markets and create more employment in rural areas.

Top officials laud mango pulp exports from Tirupati to the UK

Both the official accounts of the Indian prime minister and Union Minister Piyush Goyal plugged the news article titled “Tirupati Begins First Mango Pulp Exports To UK Under India-UK FTA.”

“This has opened a big market for our farmers and will help them benefit from the increased export opportunity,” Goyal wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi also took to his personal account on X and wrote: “India and the UK are bound by shared democratic values and enjoy wide-ranging cooperation across trade, investment, technology, defence and people-to-people relations. With CETA entering into force this month, our bilateral partnership is poised to grow even stronger.”

Moreover, the official account of the High Commission of India in London said in a tweet: “The first-ever export of mango pulp from Tirupati to the UK under the India–UK CETA is another early success story of the agreement in action, creating new opportunities for farmers, boosting food processing and strengthening India’s agricultural exports.”

On July 15, when the India-UK FTA officially came into effect, Modi and Goyal hailed the new chapter in the partnership between the two nations as a “defining milestone” and “significant moment.”

“With the coming into force of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the Agreement on Social Security, our economic linkages are going to get even deeper. Together, these agreements translate our shared ambition into tangible opportunities for our people,” Modi tweeted at the time.

“The CETA will give fresh momentum to our farmers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs. Several vibrant sectors will gain stronger access to the UK market. It will also deepen cooperation in technology, professional services and innovation, while supporting greater mobility for skilled Indian talent.”

Similarly, Piyush Goyal wrote, “Under the dynamic leadership of Hon’ble PM @NarendraModi ji, the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the Agreement on Social Security have come into force, delivering zero-duty market access for nearly 99% of India’s exports, covering almost 100% of trade value.”

ALSO READ

“The #IndiaUKFTA creates unprecedented opportunities for our textiles, leather, gems & jewellery, engineering goods, marine products, chemicals, processed foods, MSMEs, farmers and manufacturers. It also opens new frontiers for our IT, professional, financial, education and business services sectors, while expanding mobility for Indian talent.”

With the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) coming into force under the India-UK FTA, the Indian government listed the following advantages for Indian farmers:

  • Zero duty access to all agricultural products
  • Zero duty access to 97.1% Tariff Lines of processed food products
  • Brings Indian agri exports on par with major competitors through duty-free/preferential access
  • Will create rural employment opportunities across FPOs, packhouses, food processing units and logistics
  • Ensures India’s food security, farmer livelihoods and rural economy remain fully protected
  • Immediate competitive edge in the UK’s global agri and processed food imports of over $90 billion.

More about India’s mango exports

While the newly formalised FTA has helped the UK forge a significant mango connection with India, some other countries have imposed restrictions on imports of Indian mangoes. In a major setback for Indian exports, Nepal recently joined Japan in hitting several mango varieties from India with restrictions due over quality concerns.

Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development’s restrictions on Indian mango imports have reportedly been in effect since April and May. Japan had similarly banned India’s Kesar, Alphonso, Langra and Banganapalli varieties for the first time in 20 years after an inspection team discovered irregularities in production at Indian facilities.

Japan’s scrutiny of Indian mango varieties is not new. The Asian neighbour previously banned Indian mangoes in 1986 over reported fruit fly infestations. The ban was eventually lifted 20 years later.