King of Mangoes Arrives: First Alphonso Box of the Season Commands Rs 23,000

 The long-awaited Konkan Alphonso mango season arrived in the Pune Market Committee yard today, albeit with a limited initial offering. While non-seasonal Alphonsos have been trickling in for the past two months, Thursday marked the official start of the main season with the arrival of five dozen boxes from the orchard of farmer Samir Harchikar of Pavas in Ratnagiri district.

The arrival was ceremoniously marked with a puja for the first box, which was then purchased by Yuvraj Kachi for Rs 23,000. Karan Jadhav, secretary of the commission agents association at the market, expressed concerns about the initial yield. "Untimely rains and a lack of cold weather during the flowering season have impacted production," he explained. "As a result, the arrival of Alphonsos will be lower initially. However, we expect a strong season from the second phase of flowering."

Jadhav assured consumers that the situation will improve soon. "The arrival will gradually increase," he said. "By February 10th, we expect to see around 50 boxes arriving daily, with a significant increase in March. And come April and May, the second crop will bring an abundance of Alphonsos to the market."