Industry leaders want Malda declared ‘mango hub’ of Bengal
The Statesman | 22 June 2025
The Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MMCCI) has written to Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging the central government to officially declare Malda as the “mango hub” of West Bengal.
In the letter, MMCCI president Ujjal Saha highlighted that Malda already has Geographical Indication (GI) tags for three prominent mango varieties—Laxmanbhog (111), Himsagar (112), and Fazli (113)—while a fourth variety, Aswina, is currently under GI registration.
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He informed the finance minister that the district produces nearly 5 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of mangoes annually, contributing to a total of approximately 15 lakh MT produced across West Bengal. “Malda is widely known as ‘Mango City’ due to its historic and commercial significance in mango cultivation, even earning mention during the Mughal era,” Mr Saha said.
According to him, over 32,000 hectares of land in Malda are under mango cultivation this season, directly engaging around 5 lakh people, with another 5 lakh indirectly involved in allied activities such as processing, transportation, marketing, and packaging.
MMCCI noted that the market for Malda mangoes is expanding globally with active support from the food processing industries and horticulture department of West Bengal and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Recently, the West Bengal chief secretary and the Malda district magistrate visited mango orchards and the Pack House in Malda, which has now received Rs 84 lakh for modernisation.
The MMCCI stressed that declaring Malda as a Mango Hub would facilitate infrastructure development for mango collection, storage, grading, and phytosanitary certification. “Setting up mango-based food processing and MSME units will strengthen the local economy, generate employment, and help reduce migration-related issues,” Mr Saha added.
The proposal also aims to benefit neighbouring districts such as Murshidabad and Nadia, while supporting Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and small enterprises engaged in mango-related products.
“We earnestly request you to consider our appeal for declaring Malda as a ‘Mango Hub’ to boost production, promote exports, and sustain the mango-based economy of the region,” the MMCCI president wrote to the Finance Minister.