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The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Why are mangoes covered with fruit bags? How much do they cost?
Farmers in Telangana are embracing a technique — fruit bagging — to protect and enhance quality of mangoes. These specially designed double-layered bags, with a brown or beige outer layer and a black inner layer, cost around ₹2 to ₹2.5 each. They are proving to be a game changer as they keep away fruit flies, ensure a blemish-free, uniformly coloured mangoes, and reduce the need for pesticides — a major concern for consumers. A farmer from Mahabubnagar, Muralidhar Reddy, who exports mangoes said: 'I was specifically asked by an exporter if the batch of mangoes being sent were bagged'. In India, 'King of fruits' are mainly cultivated in States like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Gujarat. What damages mangoes? According to the Fruit Research Station (FRS) in Sangareddy, the mango crop is vulnerable to fruit flies, unseasonal rains, increased humidity and other changes in temperature. Fruit flies lay their eggs in the flesh, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the flesh causing significant damage to the fruit. To prevent this damage, farmers commonly use pesticides. How are fruit bags useful? Information from the Centre highlights how the bagging technique is a safer and sustainable alternative as it protects the mango crop from insects such as mango hoppers and fruit flies, and the vagaries of weather — heat, wind and rain. The bags prevent pesticides from coming in contact with the fruit and allows the fruit to grow without any spots or marks making it ideal for exports. The bagging technique is effective on mango varieties such as Banginapalli, Himayat, Kesar, and Daseri. However it is not suitable for all varieties of mangoes. Senior scientist and head of the FRC, V. Suchitra said that for varieties such as Suvarnarekha and Tommy Atkins, the bagging technique is counterproductive. 'For these varieties, the bags must be removed around a week to 10 days before harvesting.' Ms. Suchitra also highlights that without inspection of the mangoes the bagging technique should not be used. She said: 'The fruits must first be checked for signs of infestation.' She warns that covering infested fruits can worsen the problem as was observed in Jagtial. Bags distributed in Mahabubnagar This year, under the Cluster Development Programme, fruit bags were distributed to farmers in Mahabubnagar at subsidised rates. Telangana Horticulture and Sericulture department, Director, Shaik Yasmeen Basha said that the distribution of fruit bags to mango farmers will be expanded to other districts in the coming months. Timing for bagging the fruit K. Venugopal, District Horticulture and Sericulture officer (Mahabubnagar) said that timing is very important when using the bagging technique. The ideal stage for bagging is when the fruit is 3 cm in diametre. The centre's information manual details the height at which the bags have to be tied and sealed. Mr. Venugopal highlighted that Himayat mangoes (mature but unripe) that were not bagged, were green in colour, whereas the fruits that were bagged were golden yellow in colour.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
A tale of sweet and tangy mangoes in Hyderabad
From April to June, Hyderabad transforms into a vibrant tapestry of golden hues as its streets overflow with an exquisite array of mangoes. Besides the fruits from various parts of Telangana, lorries laden with varieties such as Himayat, Daseri, Benishan, Alphonso and Rasalu roll in from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. This season, however, the king of fruits had to weather quite a storm to reach the city. Early this year, unseasonal rains and winds struck Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, significantly impacting Hyderabad's primary mango suppliers. This flooded the wholesale markets with unripe kairi [unripe mango variety in Hindi], which jacked up prices (₹200-₹400 a kg) early in the season, until market forces ironed out the spikes. Batasingaram, the city's mango hub, handles 3,000 to 5,000 quintals of the fruit daily in peak season, with average prices pegged around ₹2,345 a quintal. Jambagh, another market, processes 500–800 quintals in the initial days of the season and 1,000-1,500 quintals in April. Vendors like Zubair in Kothapet are busy with customers, as buying mangoes becomes a cherished ritual for many in the city. 'Himayat is the favourite,' notes one vendor. 'We ripen these mangoes with calcium carbide just two days before sale.' Current prices are steady compared to last year, ranging from ₹70-₹200 a kg depending on the variety. Disparity in prices This mango season also presented a striking juxtaposition: traditional vendors vis-à-vis quick commerce giants who offer rapid doorstep delivery. While retail shops sell organic Banganapalli variety at ₹150-₹400 a kg, a quick-commerce establishment charge ₹79.12 a kg. Consumers are reluctant to buy the fruit from street vendors owing to concerns about calcium carbide. Abdul Qadeer, president of the Jambagh market, speaks for the vendors. 'Farmers follow regulations. The fear surrounding [calcium] carbide harms their livelihood. Where would smaller vendors turn to if consumers begin shopping online for supposedly fresh and organic products?' Concerns regarding artificial ripening has created a consumer section preferring farm-to-home alternatives. Raghavendra, who runs an online store, says he began selling mangoes online in 2011. He sources mangoes from Sadashivpet and Shamirpet and deliver them to homes in Hyderabad. For other cities, orders are routed via cargo buses. The appeal goes beyond convenience. 'These online services offer safer, organic options that I can trust,' opines Tahseen Farha, a customer from Attapur. The online market is also reviving lesser-known varieties such as Panduri, once exclusive to the elite. 'Last year, a customer sent us a photo holding our box outside a London landmark. That was surreal,' says Raghavendra, who has orders trickling in from European countries as well. Takers of tangy flavour Along with sweetness, there's also a desire for tangy, spicy flavours. Pavan, who runs a store in Kukatpally Rythu Bazaar, sees it every summer. 'This season noticed a drop in the sale of raw mangoes from 30-40 bags to 20 bags a day. People go to Andhra directly or order online,' he says. 'But this is our tradition, so we hold on, even if the profit drops.' Each mango here has a purpose: the tangy Tella Gulaabi for punchy pickles, sturdy Kothapalli Kobbari for shelf life and Jalaalu for the season's final flavour, all arriving from Nuziveedu, Kakinada, and Vijayawada. 'Customers still come to pick the right mango,' Mr. Pavan adds. Pickle brands are seeing a rise in digital demand. 'After COVID, more people started ordering online,' says Abhiruchi Swagruha Foods manager Sarveshwar Rao. 'Many send pickles to relatives in the U.S.' 'Our children are in other countries, but we don't want them to forget this taste,' says Lakshmi, a grandmother in her 60s. 'We may not all sit together and make pickles anymore, but at least I can send them the same flavours I grew up with.' Be it from roadside stalls, storied pickle shops or online farm-to-home startups, mangoes are the quintessential taste of summer for Hyderabadis. For them, the fruit is not just a delicacy, but a sentimental connection to culture, family and cherished memories. (The students are interning with The Hindu-Hyderabad)
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Gujarat's mango produce loss estimated at up to 35% due to unseasonal rain
The sudden change in the weather condition in the state has taken a toll on mango crop, which was ready for harvesting in the farms of South Gujarat and Saurashtra. Horticulturists are estimating up to 35 per cent damage of crop, in the Alphonso and Kesar varieties, grown in these regions. In the middle of peak summer, the state witnessed sudden thunderstorm accompanied by high-speed winds and rain on Monday and Tuesday, causing pre-ripened fruit to fall from trees, leading to significant losses for mango farmers. State Horticulture Department teams, in co-ordination with Agricultural Department officials, began a survey on Wednesday to assess the losses incurred by farmers due to this natural calamity. Sources in the Horticulture Department told this paper that around 30 to 35 percent of the crops may have been damaged due to the weather conditions in South Gujarat. In South Gujarat, mangoes are typically cultivated in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and some parts of Bharuch, while in Saurashtra, they are grown in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Amreli, while the Kesar from Kutch is among the last to be harvested. According to information from the State Horticulture Department, mango farming spans approximately one lakh hectares of land in South Gujarat and around 42000 hectares in Saurashtra. Last year, the yield of mangoes in South Gujarat ranged from 4 to 4.25 tons per hectare, whereas in Saurashtra, it was approximately over 5 percent tons per hectare, according to sources in the State Horticulture Department. Due to the sudden change in climate witnessed on Monday and Tuesday, several areas in South Gujarat — Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad, Tapi, Dangs, and some parts of Saurashtra —experienced high-speed winds accompanied by light showers. Mango growers in Saurashtra have started plucking the fruit to prevent further damage, say sources. From Wednesday, Agriculture Department officials, along with gram sevaks at village levels, began conducting a survey in Valsad, Navsari, Surat, and Bharuch to assess the losses incurred by mango growers due to the weather that will take around five days, said officials. Joint director in the Surat range Horticulture Department in South Gujarat, Dinesh Paladiya, told The Indian Express, 'In South Gujarat, mango is grown on close to one lakh hectares of land, which includes over 36,000 hectares in Valsad, 33,000 hectares in Navsari, 15,000 hectares in Surat, and the remaining areas in Bharuch district. The major variety is Kesar, which accounts for around 60 per cent; Alphonso is grown over 30 percent, with Daseri, Langdo, Rajapuri, Totapuri, etc. making up the rest. Alphonso is primarily cultivated in Valsad. There are over 70,000 farmers in South Gujarat who cultivate mango, and from here, Alphonso and other varieties of mangoes are exported to Western countries.' 'On Monday and Tuesday, due to the high-speed winds and light showers, the ready-to-harvest crop was damaged. The assessment of the loss will be known by the survey. Mangoes had started coming into the market. In some areas, the harvesting will be done in the middle of May. This year, the production is to be ascertained, but the damage may have caused losses between 30 and 35 per cent to the farmers.' Research scientist Bhupendra Tandel at Aspee College of Horticulture said, 'Through the farmers in Navsari, we have come to know that this time male flowers have appeared in larger numbers than female flowers in mango orchards. Veteran mango growers can tell the difference while we carry out awareness programmes for amateur farmers. No fruit grows from male (flowers).' He further said: 'We also grow mango in the farms of our education institution, and due to the high speed of winds on Tuesday, over 50 per cent ready-to-harvest mangoes fell from a height and got damaged. Mango traders easily identify fallen fruits, and they don't buy them. Such fruit is used for making mango pulps by different factories in Surat, Navsari, and Valsad.' Tandel also said, 'The mango fruit is sensitive to climate conditions. If the day temperature is higher than 34 degrees and it is up to 13 degrees in night, male flowers grow more than female in number.' Talking to The Indian Express, Joint Director of Horticulture Department, Rajkot range in Saurashtra, R H Ladani said, 'After receiving forecasts of light showers and strong winds, we alerted mango growers in Saurashtra, who began harvesting early. About 80 per cent of mango is cultivated is Kesar and the rest are other varieties. We will also begin a crop damage survey soon.' Dashrat Desai, a 60-year-old mango farmer from Valsad, said, 'May marks the beginning of the mango harvesting season. I've been farming mangoes for 30 years, and this year's unseasonal weather, with strong winds, caused over 40 per cent of the fruit to fall before harvesting. I grow Alphonso and Kesar on 70 acres, with about 4,000 trees. I had invested heavily expecting a good yield. Now, those fallen mangoes are useless. Even pulp factories have slashed their rates from Rs 1,600 per ton to Rs 350-400 per ton.'
