MARGAO
Where has the King of Mangoes, the mouthwatering Mankurad gone is a question mango lovers repeatedly ask in the markets as the mango season has crossed the halfway mark.
Visit the New Market area in the commercial capital, which plays host to the wholesale mango market, and don’t be surprised to find the market flooded with varieties such as Alphonso (Apus), Goan Musarada et al, but hardly any Mankurad. And, the stock of Mankurad offered for sale is beyond the reach of the common man.
Mankurad lovers, however, need not lose hope. For, inquiries with the mango wholesalers on the arrival of Mankurad mango would evoke a positive reply with traders reassuring that the Manukrad season is still not over yet, and the King of Mangoes will hit the market in the coming weeks.
Guess why it has taken time for the Mankurad to hit the markets in a big way this season when other local varieties such as Musarad, Xavier and to some extent Alphonso have flooded the market.
Wholesaler Raja Naik and others dealing in wholesale mango trading say that according to them and inputs received from mango farmers indicate that Mankurad has still not been harvested around the State’s countryside.
Blame the delay in harvesting Mankurao or the delay in the flowering pattern or simply climate change, the wholesale mango traders concede that Mankurad has still not flooded the market to date. They, however, showed a ray of hope to the Mankurad eaters that the King of Mangoes is expected to make a big presence in the coming days.
“We have received inputs from the farmers that Mankurad has still not been harvested in many areas. The reason cited is that mango is still raw and it will take some time as the fruit has taken time this season for ripening,” Raja said.
He added: “This is the very reason why the price of Mankurad has not come down to date as the demand is high, but the supply has failed to meet the requirement. We expect a turnaround in the next couple of days.”
The wholesalers pointed out that Alphonso mango popularly known as Apus is coming from the Konkan region of neighbouring Maharashtra.
Murasad mango, however, has made a big presence in the wholesale fish market, but the price is yet to stabilize compared to the last season. “A dozen of Musasad mango is available at the rate of Rs 400 per dozen and is being sold at Rs 500-600 per dozen in the retail,” sources said.
