Mangoes make early entry in Mysore

MYSORE: The king of fruits has arrived in the city. And the good news is price of mangoes is expected to be cheaper this season. Reason: bountiful harvest. Buoyed by the good harvest, mango traders are busy preparing to shift to the ''mango yard'', a makeshift structure put up at Bannimantap. But a section of traders are averse to shifting from traditional wholesale mango market on Akbar Road in Mandi Mohalla.
This season, varieties of mangoes have already arrived in large quantity though the season begins towards end of April, indicating the fruit will flood the market in the coming days.
Mango traders said they were not getting goods since Monday due to the lorry strike. However, truckloads of mangoes from orchards in the Mysore belt, including parts of Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, have arrived.
Humayun Fur, involved in mango business for the last 40 years, said prices of the fruit are expected to be lower than that of last year due to good harvest and Iraq war. The war has impacted export of mangoes to the Middle-East.
Mango is mainly grown in T. Narasipur, Nanjangud, Srirangapatna, Bannur, and Hunsur areas. Though Mysore has a population of more than 10 lakh, the local consumption is very less. Several outside buyers throng the market for wholesale purchase.
Humayun Fur, also the president of Mysore Fruit Merchants and Commission Agents Association, said that Mysoreans have a fancy for Raspuri mangoes. Badami variety is used by factories, he said, adding Raspuri variety of mangoes will cost between Rs 3 and Rs 4 per kg. Last year, it was Rs 6-7.
As the shelf life of the fruit is short, mangoes need to be sold as quickly, he said, adding the season will start from end of April and conclude at the end of June. Meanwhile, preparations are on to shift the market on Akbar Road in Mandi Mohalla to a plot in Bannimantap, which has been opposed by many traders.
Their argument is they have paid advance for shops in the area to market the product and they will incur loss if they shift to Bannimantap. Nonetheless, the shifting activity has begun with allotment of stalls to wholesale and retail traders.
Mysore Fruit Merchants and Commission Agents had mooted the plan to decongest the Akbar Road, which will be flooded with trucks, retailers and push cart vendors.
Humayun Fur claimed they can have control over prices of varieties of mangoes as there will be an open auction system. "Even growers will benefit from the mango yard," he said.