A couple in Madhya Pradesh have hired four security guards and six watchdogs to protect what is perhaps their most prized possession - two Miyazaki mango trees.
According to the orchardists Sankalp Parihar and his wife Rani, a customer in Mumbai recently offered Rs 21,000 for one kilogram of the Japanese fruit.
On the international market last year, the price of the not-so-'aam' (not-so-common) fruit went up to Rs 2.70 lakh per kilogram.
"Some people told me that the variety of mango sold at Rs 2.70 lakh per kg in the market last year. A customer from Mumbai has offered me Rs 21,000," Parihar told ANI.
When the two samplings were planted years ago, the couple had no idea the tree would bear ruby-coloured Japanese mangoes.
Said to be one of the most expensive mangoes in the world, Miyazaki mangoes are often referred to as 'Eggs of Sunshine' due to their shape and flaming red colour.
Local thieves had broken into their orchard and tried to steal saplings after word spread about the exotic fruit, triggering the security beef for the rare fruit.
Miyazaki mangoes get their name from the city in Japan where they are grown. On average, one mango weighs about 350 grams.
Rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene and folic acid, the mangoes are grown during the peak harvest between April and August.
( With inputs from ANI )
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