The supply has been sent through the western port of Pipavav in Gujarat state.
India, so far, had only been exporting mangoes by air.
According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) officials, such exported consignments were ultimately proving quite expensive for the end-user.
APEDA is the national body, responsible for export promotion and development of a variety of products from India, including farm produce.
“Exporting mangoes to Europe by sea costs just 40 cents (Rs. 28) per kilogramme, whereas by air it costs $1.74 (Rs. 120) per kg,” Dr C.B. Singh of APEDA told Sputnik on Thursday.
India exports mangoes to almost all countries in the world, including Europe, Arab nations, the US, and Russia. However, due to logistics issues, it is still commercially unviable to export mangoes to many countries.
To overcome this problem, the APEDA has advised farmers to adopt scientific techniques before and during harvest, to raise the shelf-life of mangoes so that exports can be carried out cost-efficiently by sea.
“This is the first time that we have sent a shipment of perishable commodities by sea. Once the experiment succeeds, we will step up exports to several countries through the sea. It would then be very economical for the importing nation to source its demand from India,” Dr Singh added.
The APEDA official said, both the produce and shipping methods must adhere to stringent standards set by the importing nations.
Indian mangoes, known for their sweetness, richness of flavour and unique taste, are very much in demand across the world. The most popular varieties are Alphonsos or Hapus from western Maharashtra, Badami in southern Karnataka, Chausa and Dasheri in the northern states.
During 2017-18, India exported 161,164 metric tons of mangoes, and mango based value-added products worth $167 million.
