Savour the flavours: Mango and jackfruit mela begins amid low yield worries

The much-awaited 10-day mango and jackfruit mela in the city begins on Friday, amidst worries that untimely rain and heat waves have taken a toll on mango yield in the state.

Hopcoms MD Mirji Umesh Shankar told DH that this was merely a formal inauguration to the mango and jackfruit sales that are already underway. "We are just formally inaugurating a mela for mangoes and jackfruit on May 26, which will go on until June 4, from 8 am to 8 pm every day. These fruits will be sold at concessional rates at every Hopcoms outlet in the city," he said.

Earlier this month, mango lovers were worried that the mela would be delayed due to low yield in the state.

Hopcoms, Bengaluru president, N Devaraj acknowledged that although this season's yield is now stabilising with the entry of more varieties, it might still be insufficient to meet the demand.

"In the beginning of May, supply to Hopcoms was adversely affected. While the first batch from Ramanagara was nearly sold out by then, there was a delay in the arrival of the second batch," he stated.

Devaraju said Raspuri, Badami, and Alphonso mangoes continue to be in high demand in the market amidst falling supplies and replacement by other varieties readily available during this time of the month.

“We are seeing a steady supply of Mallika, Banganapalli, and Sindhura mangoes now, which naturally brings down the overall prices of mangoes in the city,” he said.

Private delivery firms that served the fruit to the consumer’s doorstep during the Covid-19 pandemic have suspended their services due to poor quality yields.

Parag Athalye, who ran a home business in Belagavi for the past four years, has discontinued deliveries this year. "We used to source (the fruit) from Ratnagiri, but the production there has declined," he explained.

Pritam Borate, who owns five farms in Satara, Maharashtra — four for Ratnagiri Alphonsos and one for Devgad Alphonsos — supplies mangoes to customers in Bengaluru. He noted a significant increase in the demand for Alphonso mangoes compared to last year.

Hopcoms' rates per kg (as of May 25)

Raspuri: Rs 125

Totapuri: Rs 35

Badami: Rs 148

Alphonso: Rs 155

Mallika: Rs 120

Imam Pasand: Rs 165

Sendura: Rs 58

Mulgoa: Rs 160

Banganapalli: Rs 58

Kalapadu: Rs 154

Prices on Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Ltd. website, including shipping charges (as of May 25)

Alphonso/Badami/Apoos: Rs 441-Rs 691

Amrapali: Rs 771-Rs 781

Baneshan/Banganpalli: Rs 281-Rs 631

Dasheri: Rs 861

Imam Pasand: Rs 602-Rs 891

Kalapad: Rs 781-Rs 831

Kesar: Rs 560-Rs 581

Mallika: Rs 331-Rs 631

Mulgoa: Rs 761

Raspuri: Rs 479-Rs 541

Sendura: Rs 296-Rs 481

** Minimum order: 3 kg