ICAR-CISH-APEDA Sea Route Protocol Enables Successful Mango Export to Dubai
In a significant development for India's agricultural export sector, 12.5 tonnes of premium Dashehari and Langra mangoes were successfully exported from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, using a newly developed sea route export protocol. The shipment was conducted through a 40-foot reefer container by sea, marking the first successful commercial sea shipment of these mango varieties from Uttar Pradesh to Dubai under an extended 25-day harvest-to-market transit period.
The export was jointly facilitated by ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR-CISH), Lucknow, and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), with Shehnaz Export, Amroha, serving as the exporter in association with Attashi Global. The consignment was delivered to Lulu Group, UAE, one of the leading retail chains in the Gulf region, with technical guidance from ICAR-CISH and support from APEDA.
The mangoes were harvested on 22nd June 2026 and handled according to recommended scientific post-harvest management practices. The fruits were treated with METWASH technology developed by ICAR-CISH for shelf life extension, scientifically graded, packed at the Amroha Pack House, and loaded into a 40-foot reefer container for transportation to Dubai under a continuous cold chain.
Despite Western Disturbance-related delays that extended the transit period to 25 days, with the consignment reaching Dubai on 17th July 2026, approximately 90% of the mangoes arrived in good marketable condition. This outcome validates the effectiveness of the sea-route protocol and post-harvest technology in maintaining fruit quality during extended transit periods.
The successful implementation demonstrates that premium Indian mangoes can be exported economically through sea freight without compromising quality, providing a sustainable pathway for increasing farmers' income through cost-effective exports. Since sea freight is substantially more economical than air freight, exporters were able to offer higher procurement prices to farmers, resulting in mango growers realizing an additional income of approximately ₹15-20 per kg over conventional export channels. This significantly enhances farm profitability while maintaining the competitiveness of Indian mangoes in international markets.
This breakthrough is expected to accelerate the commercialization of sea-route exports of mangoes from Uttar Pradesh and other mango-producing states, opening new opportunities in the Gulf and other international markets. The technology promises to enhance export earnings, reduce logistics costs, and improve the livelihoods of mango growers in Uttar Pradesh by expanding India's fresh mango exports to broader international markets.