Pune: Farmer in Pune district grows Japanese mango variety in Daund

Pune: The season of mangoes has started and various varieties are flooding the market. The Hapus mango is famous for its taste, aroma, texture and shelf life. Top quality Hapus varieties are expensive and are exported.

Some exotic mango varieties have equally good or better quality. The Miyazaki variety from Japan is famous for its high sugar content and taste and is prized as high as Rs 2.7 lakh per kg in the Japanese market while it is priced at Rs 1.5 lakh per kg in India.

A farmer from Varvand has grown Miyazaki mangoes successfully. Farooq Inamdar planted 90 saplings of exotic varieties and 30 of domestic varieties in his 20-guntha orchard. Inamdar said, “In our orchard at Varvand, we grow various crops. We have had mango trees on our farm for many years. I once went on the Haj pilgrimage and saw abundant fruit varieties. The highest number of varieties were of mango from across the world. I took details of many such mangoes. When I came to India, I purchased 30 domestic mango saplings and 90 of foreign varieties. I planted them on my 20-guntha land two years ago, which have borne fruits now.

“Among the exotic varieties are Red African, Red Taiwan, Banana Mango, A2 and R2 mangoes from Australia, Katimon and Shahjahan varieties from Bangladesh. All these varieties fetch rates in thousands for a kilogramme but the Miyazaki mango from Japan is the costliest and fetches Rs 1.5 lakh per kg in India. Around 4 to 6 Miyazaki mangoes weigh 1 kg.

“The Kohitur mango fruit is very big and weighs 8-10 kg and is priced at Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 per kg. Fruits from our fields will be sold soon and we will plant more exotic varieties from across the world. Farmers should experiment with various crops and boost their income from farming.”