Mango season arrives early in Muthalamada

Muthalamada: Mango season has started in Muthalamada earlier than in other regions. The season, which usually starts towards the end of December, has started a month earlier.

Muthalamada, which is known as the mango city of Kerala, has more than 150 mango storage centers. 5 storage centers in Pallam, Adambumaram areas have already started exporting these mangoes.

The mangoes are currently collected from Vellarangadu, Chappakkadu, Chemmanampathy regions in Muthalamada. The mango varieties that have reached the storage centers are Sindooram, Banganappally, Himapasanth, Neelam, Thothappuri. It will take one more month for Alphonsa mangoes, which is really popular among the public to reach the storage centers.

The mangoes that are collected are distributed to Delhi and Bengaluru after packing it in cardboard boxes. The mangoes which were sent the other day received Rs 1,000-Rs 1,100 per box. Last year, Alphonsa and Himapasanth mangoes were bought for Rs 2,200 per box. When more mangoes are collected, it will be sent to other cities such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore among others.

Currently, the mangoes from Muthalamada are taken to Coimbatore railway station in trucks. From Coimbatore, these mangoes are distributed to different cities.

For the mangoes to be exported from Palakkad railway station, an entire compartment has to be taken on rent. This would require 23,000 boxes of mangoes. However, only 2,000 boxes of mangoes are sent to other cities per day.

Palakkad Mango Valley Farmers Producers Company chairman M Tajuddin stated that mango season has started in Natham and Bodi areas of Tamil Nadu. The early arrival of the season this year has given the farmers a ray of optimism. 

However, the rains and heavy winds that came two weeks ago have destroyed some of the mangoes in its flowering stage. The farmers are worried that this would affect their harvest.