Varanasi May 29 (IANS): The first consignment of 'Banarasi Langda', a variety of mango, has left for Dubai from Varanasi. It will reach Dubai in a week.

The consignment, which left for Lucknow enroute to Dubai on Thursday, had mangos plucked from an orchard of Bhikharipur village in Varanasi's Raja Talab area.

Divisional Commissioner Varanasi, Deepak Agrawal, said, "It was under the guidance of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, a farm producers' organisation named Jayapur Seeds Producers of Jayapur village (that was adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014) that the buyers were explored in Dubai."

He said that the first consignment of three tonnes of the Banarasi Langda mango is being sent to the packing units of Lucknow. After getting packed there it will be transported to Delhi from where it will go to Dubai by air cargo.

The owner of the orchard Shardul Singh of Bhikharipur village said, "With 525 mango trees of different varieties in my 45 hectare orchard, it is an emotional moment for me to see the produce of my orchard going abroad."

In the ongoing lockdown, this is the second occasion when agrarians and horticulturists are opening avenues in new global markets for their products.

A Ghazipur farmer has already sent four tonnes of green vegetables to London on April 22. The farmer Ram Kumar Rai had exported four tonnes of green vegetables, including chilli, cucumber and lauki (gourd) to London.

Dussehri was the first variety of mango from Uttar Pradesh to hit the export market, which was earlier dominated by Alphonso mango as an Indian brand.

According to mango expert Insram Ali, "Langda is the main variety cultivated in Varanasi, its surrounding regions and also parts of Bihar and West Bengal where it is known by other names like Malda and Dunka."

"Among Langda, the Banarasi Langda is considered to be superior due to its flavour and other specialties like thin seed," he explained.