Banaganapalle mango falls into bad days in district

If mango is the king of fruits, Banaganapalli is the king among the mangoes.

KURNOOL: If mango is the king of fruits, Banaganapalli is the king among the mangoes. However, the cultivation of priceless mango, the favourite of kings and commoners alike and the delight of Arab connoisseurs, is now passing through testing times.

The unspoilt obliquely oval specimen fruit with  unblemished golden yellow thin edible rind, named after the erstwhile Banaganapalli principality and popularised by its Nawab, has fibreless, yellow,  firm and sweet pulp and that makes it all the more alluring for the mango lovers. The fruit might soon get the geographical indication thanks to the efforts of the directorate of horticulture and the horticulture university.

However, over the years, the mango orchards are dwindling. Once, Banaganapalli mango was grown in 2000 hectares in the district, but this time it is confined to just 600 hectares. To add to the woes, untimely rains have affected the crop this time and the arrivals in the market are poor. As a result, the price has skyrocketed. One mango costs as high as `70. However, it is the middlemen, who virtually control the market, who are benefiting.

What is worrying the mango farmers is the wild price fluctuations. “I used to cultivate in four acres. But, now the mango orchard is limited to just one acre,” said S Sultan Basha of Rangapuram. He shifted to other crops due to lack of rains in the past three years. High temperatures are also driving the farmers to take to other crops.

“The area under Banaganapalli Mango cultivation is now limited to just 600 acres due to the high costs involed. Drought is affecting the cultivation,” admitted  horticulture joint director K Raghunath Reddy.

“The government should take steps to provide us market access and minimum price,” suggested Balaramudu of Embe village.

‘King’ among Mangoes

• Banginapalli is a mango cultivar named after Banganapalle. These mangoes are large sized, weighing on an average 400 to 900 gm. This is also known as‘Benishan’ and ‘Laddupasand.’
• It is the favourite of kings and commoners alike and the delight of Arab connoisseurs.
• The Nawabs of Banaganapalle in Kurnool district introduced the mango variety centuries ago
• The variety is cultivated in Kurnool, Krishna, West Godavari, Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and Khammam, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Medak districts of Telangana.
• In Kurnool district, the mango was once grown in 9,000 hectares. Normally, it is grown in 2000 acres. This year, it has come down to just 600 hectors in the district.

Problems galore

• The Banaganapalli mango cultivation is cost intensive. It needs water and fine temperatures.

  • Continuous drought during the past three years has made many farmers to shift to crops that need less water. As a result, mango cultivation has come down.
  • The market is controlled by the middlemen, who dictate terms to the producer and buyer alike. The farmers are worried about wild fluctuation of prices.
  • Farmers want better market access and price guarantee to their mango harvest.