Though the mango season is yet to begin in the country, Malawi mangoes from Africa have arrived at the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Vashi just in time to sweeten Deepavali festivities.
There is a huge demand for the mangoes as they are similar in taste to the famous Alphonso variety from Ratnagiri district.
Around 1,500 boxes of Malawi mangoes landed at the APMC on Wednesday. “The mangoes are here to stay till December 10. The flights are not regular so it is difficult to estimate how often the mangoes would keep coming, but on an average, around 700 boxes would be available daily for trading,” Sanjay Pansare, a trader at the APMC fruit market, said.
Around 10 years ago, a Britisher, a German and an African started Malawi Mangoes (Operations) Ltd. by taking a few grafts from Alphonso trees in Ratnagiri and planting them across an 26-acre farm in Malawi. The farm, which now spans 600 hectares, started exporting the produce to India in 2018. Though only a small quantity arrived the first year, around 80 tonnes of Malawi mangoes were exported in 2019.
Mr. Pansare said, “Traders look forward to Malawi mangoes as both countries have different harvest windows. The mango season in India begins in January and continues till August. Malawi mangoes arrive in November. Hence, there is no clash between the two seasons.”
This year, Malawi mangoes are costlier as flights are irregular and transporters have to pay air freight charges of $4.25 per kg, 40% import duty and loading and unloading charges. The mangoes cost ₹400-₹500 per kg last year, but are now priced at ₹700-₹900 per kg. Each box contains 3.5 kg of mangoes.
Mr. Pansare said Malawi mangoes meet European standards as they undergo hot water treatment. “The sand and weather in Malawi is similar to that of India. That’s why they taste almost like the Alphonso. They smell similar too as the mother plant is from here.”
