AKIPRESS.COM - The UK has said it is "working closely" with India and the European Commission to end a planned ban on mango imports.

Indian mangoes, often sold by the box-load, will be banned from Thursday by the commission because plant pests could threaten European salad crops.

The UK reportedly imports nearly 16 million mangoes each year, worth £6m, BBC told.

Monica Bhandari, from wholesalers Fruity Fresh, said there were other options to tackle the pests and called for an "urgent" reversal of the ban.

She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme that Australia, New Zealand and Japan dealt with the problem using vapour heat treatment and the EU should do the same.

In an e-petition on the UK government's website she said: "For many growers and exporters in India the ban means the end of their business. Growing for the season has commenced and so vast quantities of mangoes will be destroyed."

The European Commission said the unanimous vote to bring in the ban followed "significant shortcomings" in the certification system of such products exported to the EU.

It said "there was a high number of such consignments being intercepted at arrival in the EU with quarantine pests, mainly insects, like non-European fruit flies".