250 Tonnes of mangoes to be relished in the city today

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The age-old tradition of eating mangoes from the festival of Akshaya Tritiya continues to be followed by many even today. Over the past week, around 250 tonnes of mangoes from various states have arrived in the market for sale. As a result, households are preparing traditional meals featuring aamras along with kurdai.

On Saturday, markets across the city were flooded with mangoes. Apart from fruit stalls and handcarts, the number of vendors roaming through neighbourhoods with baskets of mangoes has also increased noticeably.

Mango arrivals in the city usually begin in the first fortnight of February. While many people purchase the season’s first mangoes early, a large number of buyers also prefer to start buying from Akshaya Tritiya. Over the last 15 days, the wholesale market at Jadhavwadi has witnessed a significant inflow of raw mangoes, which are later ripened and brought to retail markets for sale.

Which states are supplying mangoes?

Currently, mangoes are being sourced from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Gujarat. The Kesar mango available in the market is primarily from Gujarat and not from the Marathwada region. Meanwhile, Alphonso (Hapus) mangoes from Karnataka are being sold more than those from the Konkan region.

Do you know the market prices of mangoes?

Variety — Price (per kg / dozen)

Alphonso (Hapus) — Rs 500 to Rs 1400 (per dozen)

Lalbagh — Rs 120 to Rs 200

Kesar — Rs 200 to Rs 300

Dasheri — Rs 160 to Rs 220

Badam — Rs 140 to Rs 150

Langda — Rs 160 to Rs 180

Preference for Kesar and Lalbagh over Alphonso

A visit to the market revealed that on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, most customers were buying mangoes in quantities ranging from 1 to 5 kg. Due to doubts about quality and the higher price of Alphonso mangoes, nearly 90% of customers preferred Kesar or Lalbagh varieties. The remaining 10% included about 5% buyers opting for Dasheri, Badam, and Langda, while only around 5% chose Alphonso, according to mango vendor Shaikh Majid.