Mango cultivators Uttam Phondekar and his father Abba received no less than Rs 18,000 (€198) for the first box of the season’s Devgad Alphonso mangoes they sold in the Pune market. The Devgad Alphonso, which is harvested in November, fetches a much higher price than that sold in the traditional mango season from April till June. In all, the Phondekars have sold 10 dozens in the first lot that has left their mango orchard in Kumbharmath village, in Sidhudurg district of Maharashtra.
Traditionally, the first box of mangoes to leave the district is auctioned at a higher price, while the subsequent boxes fetch a lesser price. Interestingly, the Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes fetch a lower price than the Devgad Alphonso, though both are grown by cultivators in the Konkan belt, located in the west coast of Maharashtra.
Source: outlookindia.com
