Cyclonic fall: Gujarat’s iconic Kesar mango cheaper than potato
“Kudrat Ruthi Gai” (the nature is angry), is the lament of growers of the well known Kesar mango assortment of Gir Somnath and Junagadh districts of Gujarat, just after Cyclone Tauktae devastated the area final 7 days.
In the final few days, the Talala marketplace yard — the most important stage for the Kesar mango auctions — in Gir Somnath district obtained virtually 1.5 lakh boxes (each individual of 10 kg) of the mango assortment with prices quoted as minimal as ₹40 for every box.
Which is just ₹4 for every kg. The cost fell even down below the wholesale potato cost of ₹60 for every 10 kg (₹6 for every kg).
Fruit drop
“This is the exact same assortment of mango that was marketing in the vary of ₹225-800 for every box just a 7 days in the past,” rues HH Jarsaniya, Secretary, Talala APMC. He states only 5-8 for every cent of the all round Kesar mango crop appears to be like intact.
Cyclone Tauktae built the landfall on May possibly 17 along the coastline of Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts with wind speeds of 160-a hundred sixty five kmph gusting up to 190 kmph. This led to the mangoes falling from the trees.
Nonetheless, the fallen fruits — considered damaged due to mud caking and dampness — was largely purchased by inadequate communities from close by districts. Only about 23,000 boxes are still left. “No food stuff processor or retail trader has come to get these damaged fruits. Which is why the prices fell so sharply,” claimed Jarsaniya.
Kesar mango is the next-most exported mango assortment just after Alphonso.
Nonetheless, exports are down due to the pandemic and logistics constraints across nations around the world. Grown generally in the foothills of Girnar mountain in Saurashtra, the legendary Gir Kesar mango, acknowledged for its vibrant orange colour and unique aroma, was supplied a Geographical Sign (GI) in 2011.
Soured period
This calendar year the period begun on May possibly 4 with skinny arrivals of about 5,600 boxes a working day as towards 8,000-nine,000 boxes final calendar year.
The period lasts forty-forty five days until mid-June. But this calendar year the period has finished abruptly due to the cyclone.
According to the Talala APMC information, final calendar year virtually 7 lakh boxes were being traded building a organization of ₹26 crore, whilst this calendar year only three.21 lakh boxes arrived and organization experienced dropped to ₹7 crore — virtually a fourth of final year’s.
