Courtesy an association of Bengal’s mango exporters, this is the first time mangoes from West Bengal are going to be exported to a football World Cup venue.

“The idea of sending mangoes to the World Cup occurred to us a long time ago. Talks were on and we finally struck a deal with an agent involved in the World Cup organisation,” said general secretary of West Bengal Exporters’ Coordination Committee Ujjwal Saha.

This committee will send the consignment to South Africa by the end of the month.

On the selection of lakshmanbhog type, he said other varieties like himsagar, gopalbhog or fajli, for which Malda is famous, were not selected as lakshmanbhog would suit the taste buds of Europeans and Americans better.

“Unlike the other varieties, this red-coloured variety is not very sweet. It is also more juicy and less pulpy, catering to their tastes, as the western buyers do not like fruits which are too pulpy,” Saha told The Indian Express.

Malda Mango Merchants Association secretary Subodh Mishra said: “I hope lakshmanhog will be a huge hit in South Africa, making more clients interested in the fruit. Only if more people are interested, we can grow more of this variety and develop the industry.”

Mishra lamented that “as of now, nothing has been done for the Malda-Murshidabad mango industry, apart from declaring it as an Export Processing Zone”.

According to him, the mango industry at Malda, which grows a rich variety of mangoes, receives no government support. “The margin of profit will not be much, as the mango merchants and exporters will themselves have to bear the entire cost of shipping and sending the mangoes.”

“The huge industry comprising mango growers, gardeners, labourers, processers, guards, packers and many others, receives no government support,” he said.

“There is no infrastructure. We do not have packaging, processing or cold storage units,” he added.