UAE farmer showcases unique 4kg homegrown organic mango variety at Khorfakkan Festival
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UAE farmer Saeed Al Maeli took everyone by surprise at the Mango Festival in Khorfakkan after he showed mangoes weighing nearly four kilogrammes, which he grew on his farms in Fujairah. The mangoes left even the seasoned cultivators baffled. However, they do not taste as sweet as the ones found in fruit baskets.This four-kilogramme fruit is called Malda mango . It is slightly tangy and works well for pickles and curries, according to Khaleej Times. He sold these mangoes for Dh25 and says people come looking for them every year.Speaking about the Malda mangoes, Saeed called them 'unique' and said that this variety came out after years of careful hybrid cultivation, mixing cuttings and seeds from different trees. 'Not everything succeeds. But when it works, the result is something unique. This nearly 4 kg mango is one of those outcomes,' he said, according to Khaleej Times.Saeed further asserted that the fruit does not catch the attention of the buyers for its sweetness but for its size and look. The other factor that he highlighted was how well it works in traditional dishes. 'It's not something you find in regular markets,' he said. He also stated that families buy it to make chutneys, pickles, or mango curry, and some people even come just to see it.On his farms in Fujairah, Saeed grows over 35 varieties of mangoes, and he has hundreds of trees spread across his land. Saeed, who says that he started farming out of interest, also grows tomatoes, papayas, figs, dragon fruit, and other seasonal fruits. His ability to grow mangoes through most of the year makes him stand out from the crowd, as this is something many people don't expect to hear about farms in the Emirates.Standing near his stall at the festival, where he displayed the heavy Malda mango, Saeed said that people stop and ask, Is this real?.At festivals like the Khorfakkan Mango Festival , many farmers like Saeed get access to local residents, tourists, and restaurant owners looking for organic produce, which allows them to sell directly and build a connection with the buyers. 'They ask questions; they want to know how it's grown, whether it's organic, what we use – it builds trust,' he said.Farmers agree that the interest in UAE-grown mangoes is increasing. And as more people try these home-grown fruits, it's giving local farmers a platform to grow and experiment. In Saeed's case it's quite simple. 'Mango farming is not just about selling fruit,' he said. 'It's about making something with your own hands, something that grows from the land you live on.'
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