THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Banganapalli, Sindhooram and Panchavarnam have been stacked in Chalai market, but at half the price of Kottukonam mangoes. However succulent or yellow, the exotic varieties are being given a cold shoulder. You might have guessed the reason - after reading reports of using calcium carbide to ripen fruits, few would want to take a chance.
But what if even the indigenous varieties are ripened artificially? Officials at the Food Safety Commissioner’s office offer one tip to identify a mango ripened artificially - taste it. If it looks ripe but tastes sour, chances are it has been ripened using calcium carbide.
Packets of calcium carbide are placed between the load of fruits, and is washed with a jet of water. The chemical process is exothermic - it generates heat, turning the skin of fruits reddish. Calcium hydroxide (lime), which is one of the products of the reaction, can cause intestinal disorders.
Over the past six months, two major cases of using calcium carbide were reported in Kerala. More than 500 kilograms of mangoes were seized in Ernakulam and over 1000 kilograms of lemon in Thrissur. ‘’We will be screening the trucks which cross checkposts and conduct raids on wholesale markets,’’ says T V Anupama, Food Safety Commissioner.
However, the best way to avoid chemicals on your mango platter, is to encourage organic farming. Horticorp, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture and University of Agriculture, is planning to source high-quality indigenous mango saplings grown organically. ‘’We will focus on correcting the bad practices, rather than punishing the offenders,’’ says Horticorp Managing Director M S Sureshkumar.
‘Kottukonam Varikka’ is the most popular variety in Thiruvananthapuram. Two weeks ago, it cost Rs 180. In Chalai, it will be available for as low as Rs 120, while Banganapalli, Sindhooram and Panchavarnam are available at Rs 60. The prices will drop further south in the coming weeks.
However, Kottukonam is the only popular local variety. Advocates for indigenous mango varieties also lament about the disappearance of many varieties.
K Rajmohan, who retired as the Director of Integrated Biotechnology course, Vellayani Agricultural College, said: “Vellari mango, which is long like cucumber, is not seen in markets and might be found in some homes in Varkala and Kollama. There used to be perakka mango and panchara vaikkom mango. Nedungolam mango sometimes surfaces in markets. Kottukonam, because it fetches a high price, is grown.’’ He was part of a decade-long research which led to identifying 100 indigenous varieties of mangoes of southern Kerala.
S Usha, the director of NGO ‘Thanal’, said: ‘’ Most of the organic farming initiatives focus on growing vegetables. We need to start planting mango trees, so that we can bring back the times when mangoes were abundant.’’
