Indian mangoes can attain cost competitive edge in US: BARC

Indian mangoes can attain a cost competitive edge in the US market having successfully shipped 14.3 tonnes of the radiation processed fruit to the country by sea route, a top scientist said.

"For the first time India has successfully transshipped 14.3 tonnes of radiation processed mangoes to US by sea route and this will make them more cost competitive in the US market," Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), director, Srikumar Banerjee said.

Radiation technology has been used to overcome quarantine barriers for export of mangoes from India to US and 562 tonnes have been exported by air route in the past three years, he said.

The mangoes were radiation processed (157 tonnes in 2007, 275 tonnes in 2008 and 130 tonnes in 2009) at BARC's food preservation centre at Krushak, Lasalgaon in Maharashtra's Nashik district.

"This year using a combination of radiation and low temperature, it was possible to successfully transship 14.3 tonnes of mango to US by sea route," Banerjee said during the Dr Homi Baba's Birth Centenary function here on Friday.

"The trial was successful and this will make mangoes more cost competitive in the US market," he added.  In the field of nuclear agriculture two new Trombay crop varieties developed by Nuclear Agriculture Division of BARC have been notified by the ministry of agriculture for commercial cultivation, Banerjee said.

They are confectionery grade groundnut variety TGB-39 (Trombay-Bikaner groundnut) notified for cultivation in Rajasthan and TDG-39 (Trombay Dharwad groundnut) for Karnataka, he said.

As part of the societal initiatives of the Department of Atomic Energy, Banerjee said, ten Advance Knowledge and Rural Technology Initiative (AKRUTI) centres have been set up, seven in Maharashtra, one each in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.

Two more AKRUTI centres are being set up in Meghalaya in northeastern region and one at BARC's new campus in Vizag in Andhra Pradesh, he said. Banerjee said that Tera Becquerel amounts of radio chemicals were produced and supplied by BARC to its sister unit Board of Radiation and Isotope Board (BRIT) for further processing and supplying to user institutions.

Iodine-125 brachytherapy sources continued to be produced and supplied to the three collaborating Eye Care hospitals for treatment of ocular cancers, benefiting nearly 15 patients last year, he said.  

According to Banerjee, BARC has developed P-32, a beta emitting nuclide that was tested for treatment of superficial cancers by Mould Brachytherapy for the first time in the world and based on the excellent results in small animals, limited clinical trials were conducted at All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi at their behest.

Seven patients with basal cell carcinoma lesions in the face, which were otherwise not treatable have been treated with the P-32 brachytherapy moulds, prepared at the Radiopharmaceuticals division, each one custom made to match the size, shape and the activity needed by the patient, he said.