Food Safety Management in Market Value Chain of Mango in Uttar Pradesh: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

The study highlighted the pertaining market value chain of mango in “Malihabad-Kakori” mango belt of district Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in order to cohesion with food safety measures at each level of process of the value chain. Results of the investigation showed that the market value chain of mango in the study area confronted in the adoption of various food safety laws required to flow of quality mango from producers to consumers due to large network of value chain actors, lack of activity-oriented food safety measures/ practices for the mango value chain in the Nation's food safety law and also disparity among the various food safety laws (public, private and international food safety laws). The findings of study further showed that due to influential position of actors who engaged in the consumption unit side or buyer driven part of same chain, the homogeneity in compliance of food safety standards over the entire mango value chain is affected. Study results indicated that the small mango growers in the study area were excluded from the high value market (buyer driven market) because their powerlessness to meet private food safety standards. A substantial percentage of value chain actors in the study area have unaware about food safety procedures and standards assigned for various level of handling of fresh mango and its products. Study findings highlighted the need of effective implementation of food safety measures whether it is public and/or private can be ensured in short value chain of mango wherein small number of linkages between the mango growers and the consumers in the study area.