A small stretch of Mysuru-Bantwal State Highway 88 near Mysuru turns into a mango vendors’ zone in summer as vendors, including growers, put up a variety of mangoes on their pushcarts for sale among highway travelers.
Either side of the highway between Yelwal and Manuganahalli sports yellow hues, with over three dozen vendors occupying the highway shoulders to market the king of fruit.
The highway stretch turning into a vendors’ zone is an annual trend as the busy motorway frequented by long-distance travellers and tourists (many visit Madikeri, a popular hill station in summer) has been an perfect place for drawing mango enthusiasts. The vendors start their business at the crack of dawn.
Manju, a mango vendor from Nagawala village, says, “I sell mangoes from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and earn an average Rs. 7,000 daily. Sometimes, I get more. People commuting by cars and also two-wheelers stop and buy fruit.”
The fruits are displayed in a striking way to catch the attention of highway motorists. Each vendor will have two to three assistants to assist him in marketing his fruits by making gestures to oncoming commuters to stop their vehicles at their cart.
“It is a question of existence. As there is intense competition among vendors, I have to make the best efforts to ensure that the commuters stop at my cart. Whoever manages to stop the vehicles gets the business. Otherwise, the commuters move on to the next cart,” says Manju.
Most vendors bring fruit from Mysuru and some from nearby villages, where the fruit was grown. Though not all mango varieties have arrived, Raspuri, Saindoora, Baganpalli, Malgao are among the varieties sold by these vendors.
A vendor was heard telling a buyer – “The season has just begun sir; more varieties to come soon. Please visit next time.”
With the present year turning into an off year for the fruit, the current selling price has been on the higher side. Raspuri was being sold at Rs. 100 a kilo. But, there is always scope for the bargain, which most buyers do as they feel the vendors quote a marked-up price.
Some travellers, including inter-State commuters from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, make it a point to taste the fruit before it is bought.
When a vendor was asked whether the fruits were ripened artificially, he replied, “We don’t know how it is ripened; we buy ripened fruits from Mysuru and dealers.”
