Mangoes trickle in to tickle Pune’s palate

For Puneites who love eating Alphonso mangoes, the wait for purchasing the fruit is over. The supply of mango has increased at Market Yard in Gultekdi.

The first box containing four dozen Alphonso mangoes hit the city market on January 2 and immediately sold out for more than Rs11,000.

Up to 10 boxes keep arriving in the market, but on Wednesday more than 50 boxes arrived from Ratnagiri, the biggest supply of the season so far. Within a couple of hours, all the boxes were sold out.

A box containing four dozen good quality Alphonso mangoes costs Rs5,000 and is still in demand from hardcore mango lovers. A prominent mango trader in Market Yard, Shivlal Bhosale said, “Normally, the mango season starts in full swing in city around March 15, but this year, due to the prolonged winter season, it will start around March 25.’’

“Due to good winter this year, we expect bumper mango production, but if only cloudy and rainy weather does not prevail. The demand and supply will decide the prices after Gudi Padva (Hindu new year) which is on April 4 this year,” Bhosale added.

Once 20,000 boxes start arriving in the market daily, the rate will hover around Rs1,000 for four dozen mangoes. Puneites mainly prefer Alphonso from Ratnagiri, but Madras Alphonso, Payari, Lalbaug, Badami, Dasheri, Langda and Chousa from Uttar Pradesh are also consumed.