Navi Mumbai: Alphonso mangoes appear to be the latest victim of the ongoing climate change. According to mango traders in the State, the prolonged winter has damaged the crop, and production has fallen. With the mango season just about starting, this could spell disappointment for growers and consumers alike.
Fruit trader Sanjay Pansare, a former director of the Navi Mumbai Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), says, “This year, we’ve received only 60% of what reached the markets this time last year. The decrease is due to Ockhi winds, followed by the winter that lingered till February, and unseasonal rains. These drastic changes in climate have caused black spots on many mangoes, spoiling them.”
With prices of alphonso mangoes from Maharashtra up by 40%, small traders are increasingly stocking the Karnataka version, which is cheaper. The unscrupulous among them are also passing off the Karnataka alphonso as the more expensive, and tastier, ones grown in Devgad taluka of Sindhudurg district. “The difference in quality is due to the different soil. Devgad alphonsos have a heady aroma,” Pawan Vadekar, an APMC fruit trader, says.
The differences cannot be discerned by the layman without slicing them open. Mr. Vadekar says Devgad alphonso has a rich saffron-coloured pulp, while the one from Karnataka lacks the aroma and has yellowish pulp. Also, the latter’s skin is much thicker.
Mr. Pansare said, “Ask the shopkeeper to slice the mango on top to check the pulp. To identify the Devgad ones, buyers should smell each mango first and check the skin texture. Also, Devgad mangoes are roundish towards the lower end, while the Karnataka ones are narrower.”
In the wholesale market, Devgad mangoes are priced at ₹150 to ₹250 per kg, while the Karnataka alphonso costs between ₹60 to ₹120 per kg. The per-dozen rate of Devgad mangoes is between ₹200 to ₹800 (wholesale), and retails at ₹400 to ₹1,300.
Mr. Pansare says, “People should buy mangoes only from authentic sellers. The ones on the roadside with boxes often mix Devgad mangoes with other varieties.”
During season, he added, around 50,000 boxes of Devgad alphonso come to the APMC market every day, and 10,000 boxes of the Karnataka ones. Supply is expected to increase after April 15.
