Madhya Pradesh's 'Noorjahan' mangoes of Afghan origins fetching rate up to Rs 1,000 apiece

A mango cultivated in Madhya Pradesh's Alirajpur district called 'Noorjahan' is fetching a higher price in 2021 due to the good yield and sheer size of the fruit compared to 2020. 

A farmer said on Sunday that such mangoes are priced at ₹500 to ₹1,000 apiece this season as the yield of this variety of mangoes has been good this time due to favourable weather conditions, unlike last year. 

As per locals, 'Noorjahan' mangoes are of Afghan origin and cultivated only in the Katthiwada region of Alirajpur district adjacent to the Gujarat border, approximately 250 km from Indore.

Shivraj Singh Jadhav, a mango cultivator from Katthiwada was quoted by PTI saying, "The three Noojahan mango trees in my orchard have produced 250 mangoes. The fruit has been priced between ₹500 and ₹1,000 per piece. Bookings have already been done for these mangoes." He added people who have booked 'Noorjahan' mangoes in advance include fruit lovers from Madhya Pradesh as well as neighbouring Gujarat. "This time the weight of a Noorjahan mango is going to be between 2 kg to 3.5 kg," Jadhav said.

An expert in cultivating 'Noorjahan' mangoes in Katthiwada, Ishaq Mansoori said, "This time the crop of this variety has been good but the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the business."  He said 'Noorjahan' trees could not flower properly due to unfavourable climatic conditions in 2020. "In 2019, one mango of this variety weighed around 2.75 kg at an average, and buyers paid as high as ₹1,200 apiece for it," he added.

'Noorjahan' Mangoes

As per a PTI report, the 'Noorjahan' variety produces fruits towards the beginning of June. These trees start flowering in January- February. A 'Noorjahan' mango can grow up to a foot long and its kernels weigh between 150 to 200 grams, local cultivators claimed.

(With PTI inputs)