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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
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Early monsoon in Telangana not to have impact on mangoes as 90% harvested
The arrival of monsoon two weeks earlier than the usual date in Telangana might not have a significant impact on the overall mango production in the State as majority of the fruits are already collected. Director of Telangana Horticulture and Sericulture Shaik Yasmeen Basha said that around 90% of mangoes have been harvested. Generally, in the second part of May, varieties such as Kesar, Banganapalli and Himayat are harvested. Officials of the Horticulture department said that some farmers, who had taken land on lease, would not want to lose the investment. In such conditions, when summer is interspersed with rain and more are expected, they opt for early harvest. District Horticulture and Sericulture Officer (Jagtial) G. Shyam Prasad said that late flowering of trees also pushes the time fruits are gathered. Of the 3.06 lakh acres of mango orchards in Telangana in 2024-25, the highest is in Jagtial: 37,38,000 acres. Mr. Prasad said that 80% of mangoes cultivated in the district are 'Benishan', which are harvested from late March to May-end. The tree flowers multiple times, and the farmers whose trees flower early get relatively more profits. Benishan is one of the favourites in northern India. Traders from there rent flats in Jagtial during the harvest season to coordinate the export of the fruits. This ensures that the fruit is not left unsold. The fruits harvested in June first week or later are usually priced more. A few farmers are hoping the rains will subside and waiting to harvest the fruits in the coming days.
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)
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Fickle weather ravaging Telangana's traditional mango varieties
It's the middle of May. In one of Narsapur's sprawling mango orchard, the air is damp and the black soil, wet and soft. Instead of the hot and dry summer breeze known as 'loo', a mellow earthy aroma permeates everywhere. Standing in the shade of a 20-year-old Banganpalli (a.k.a. benishan and safeda) mango tree, orchard owner Srinivas looks at the still ripening mangoes. 'The best taste of Banganpalli is in the final days of May. They become sweeter if the air is dry and hot. But now...,' his voice trails off. The nine-acre orchard adjoins the highway in Narsapur, about a 100 km from Hyderabad and one of the driest parts of Telangana. Madhu Reddy, another mango orchard owner, says he is yet to harvest his fruits. 'This unseasonal rain pushes the harvesting time. A late monsoon last year delayed the winter. Flowering came thrice, but most did not stay on the trees, so fruit formation has been very low this year.' The stories of Madhu and Srinivas represent a trend in mango cultivation: fickle weather, a product of climate change, pushing farmers of traditional mango varieties to a corner. At the Fruit Research Station (FRS) in Sangareddy, scientists are developing mango varietals resistant to climate change. 'We began a study titled 'Effect of Climate Variability on Mango' 20 years ago. It's an ongoing research, and we found that frequent weather changes have limited effect on Suvarnarekha [a mango variety], while Banganpalli and Himayat are very sensitive, especially during the flowering stage,' says V. Suchitra, head of the FRS. The institute has a germplasm collection of 477 mango accessions. 'Our research is focussed on Dusseri, Himayat, Banganpalli, Kesar, Suvarnarekha and Totapuri. The research can be extrapolated to find other safe varieties as the weather pattern is becoming unpredictable,' says Suchitra. 'The mango crop is most vulnerable at the flowering stage, where it requires cool night temperatures and bright sunshine during daytime for at least 15 days between October and December. This has been disrupted,' says Suchitra. The result has been a drop in yield of some varieties and loss of taste, leaving orchard owners in the lurch. Making mango cultivation even less remunerative in Telangana is the fact that the State does not have a port of exit for the fruit, which is currently being transported through either Bengaluru or Mumbai. This also skews the data as the exports are recorded as being made from these two ports. Across the country, farmers are switching from mango to other crops, and the area under cultivation has fallen by 0.76% to 23.32 lakh hectares (57.62 lakh acres) from 23.5 lakh hectares (58.06 lakh acres) in 2022-23. 'I will get ₹5 lakh or ₹6 lakh this year from my mango crop, which is almost the same as last year. It's my passion for farming that is keeping me here,' says Srinivas. It is the same passion that once turned Telangana into one of the biggest experimental sites for mangoes. The nobility and royalty vied to create one exotic variety after other by grafting and cultivation. The result was varieties with such names as Azam-us-Samar, Asif Pasand, Mahmooda Vikarabad, Shakkar Gutli, Nawab Pasand. Now, as demand for commercial varieties soars, these delicate and choice mangoes are being pushed out of the market by more popular and commercial varieties. And with their disappearance, a slice of India's botanical history goes under. The royal connection Choice mango varieties have anecdotal tales that hark back centuries. They also show the ebb and flow of different reigns. Some of them are: Taimur Pasand Amrapali Bobbili Panasa Bennet Alphonso Kensington Latif-us-Samar Hamlet Nazeem Pasand Mombasa Begum Pasand Mahmooda Vikarabad
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Rain brings down sweetness of mangoes; farmers hope sun will shine on them
The intermittent rain and forecast for more in Telangana for the next few days is a cause for concern for mango farmers in Mahabubnagar, as the prominent varieties of the fruit cultivated in the State are harvested in the third and fourth week of May. Usually, water supply to the trees is stopped by May 1. But, when it rains in this month, the trees or plants absorb water leading to an increase in water content in fruits. This decreases the sweetness of mangoes, said A. Bhagwan, Registrar of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University. Harvest season for 3 varieties Dasheri mango is harvested by May first week. Himayat, Banganapalli and Kesar are harvested by month-end. Since this is the harvest season for mangoes, rains can impact a lot, say farmers. Fruit flies, which lay eggs on the fruits, and honey-hoppers are also a bigger problem, said Sudhakar Rao Kethireddypally, who has a mango farm in Kethireddypally of Balanagar mandal in Mahabubnagar. Traders cashing in Since rain is predicted in the State in the next few days, some farmers are thinking of harvesting them soon. When a lot of farmers do this, supply increases in the market and brings down the price. 'The moment I called a trader, he said a lot of farmers called him,' said Muralidhar Reddy, a farmer from Balanagar. Government should take steps to ensure we get the minimum price for the produce, he said. If a farmer chooses to harvest mangoes after rain, they have to be careful in checking when it ripens. A mango harvested when it is dry will last for eight days. And, when harvested after rain, they begin to rot after four to five days. So traders have to be cautious and plan the sale accordingly. Mr. Bhagwan said that since this is peak harvest season for Banganapalli variety, supply increases and brings down the prices. Some farmers harvest up to June 10 or later, hoping for better prices. Though there is a forecast of early onset of monsoon, Mr. Reddy hoped that rains would stop in the first week of June and there would be sunny days.
