KOLHAPUR: Maharashtra government has formed a high-level committee to investigate the recent fall in mango prices and to formulate the process to comply with European Union norms so that the import ban can be revoked.

The committee formed on Wednesday consists five members and has been asked to submit its report by May 22. The department of cooperatives, marketing and textile, which deals with the mango import, has advised the members to find out the persons responsible for the fall in mango prices in the state.

The country’s largest exporter of mangoes, Maharashtra last year exported 4,000 tonnes of mangoes to EU countries. According to officials, this accounts for 7% of the total exports of mangoes. The United Arab Emirates is the largest importer of mangoes from Maharashtra. It imports around 25,000 tonnes of mangoes each year, accounting for 50% of the state’s total export.

The committee consists Maharashtra State Mango and Cashew Board chief executive officer Vikas Patil, managing director of Maharashtra State Consumers’ Federation Deepak Taware, general manager of Maharashtra State Agriculture Produce Marketing Federation D L Tamale, deputy general manager of Maharashtra State Agriculture Produce Marketing Federation Sunil Borkar and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) director general Sudhanshu.

Mango prices in the market are almost 50% lower than compared with last year, says traders in the Kolhapur market. Apart from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, mangoes are arriving in the domestic market from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The price of best quality Ratnagiri and Devgad mango basket of five dozens has fallen from Rs 2,500 to Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 within three weeks. The other mango baskets are available at Rs 500 to Rs 700 per basket of five dozen mangoes.

“We have been asked to find out the reasons for the sudden fall in mango prices in Maharashtra. The state exports a small amount of mangoes to the EU. Still, the prices have fallen. This was not expected. Our largest export is to the UAE and America,” said Vikas Patil, member of the committee.

The committee members, who are experts in export norms, will talk to producers, traders, export agents and customers this week. The committee will also study mango ripening practices in the state since fruit fly is a major concern of the EU.

“Each country has its own protocol for agriculture produce and we have to comply with it. We can change some of the methods to avoid further ban in the EU market. We have already adopted measures sought by the American and Japanese markets. For the EU, we can adopt hot water treatments to remove fruit fly and if the EU agrees, we can start exporting mangoes from 15 December 2015,” Patil added.

Mango prices in Kolhapur and adjoined markets such as Sangli, Satara, Karad, Miraj and Pune are falling since last three-four weeks. The largest market in the western Maharashtra, Pune recorded the arrival of 28,000 wooden baskets this week. “The Ratnagiri mango is priced between Rs 800 to Rs 1,700 a basket of four to seven dozens in the Pune market. The other mangoes are priced between Rs 800 and Rs 1,700 for a basket of four to seven dozens,” said Rohan Ursal, trader from Pune.

The situation is the same in Kolhapur, where almost 3,500 baskets of five dozens and 6,000 boxes of two dozen mangoes, are arriving from various places each day.

“There has been an increase in the number of customers since the rates are now affordable. We are clearly seeing impact of the EU ban,” said Nandkumar Walanju, mango trader in Kolhapur.

“I am doing business for more than three decades. However, I am seeing such low rates for the quality produce for the first time. For instance, high quality mango which was sold for Rs 800 a dozen is now available at Rs 300,” he added.

The prices are falling since April last week. The prices of the Ratnagiri and Devgad varieties of mangoes have dropped after the EU ban, which has prompted the state government to intervene.