Goa’s most popular mangoes going for Rs 5,000 a dozen

Rajesh Dhargalkar, vice-president of All Goa Mango Growers Association, said that though the first batch of mankurad mangoes always sells at a high price, this season, the fruit arrived in the market a month earlier than usual, pushing its price even higher.

“Usually, mankurad mangoes arrive by the end of February or March. The wholesale price then would be around Rs 3,000-3,500 a dozen. But now, it is being sold in retail for Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 a dozen in Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim and coastal areas,” Dhargalkar said.

Limited supply of mankurad this season has also led to price surge and may persist for the next few weeks. “Our stock will be sold in the next 3-4 days. People of Goa love mankurad for its unique taste and aroma. There is also an emotional connect. Even if the price goes up to Rs 7,000 a dozen, there will be demand. Many Goans, who are travelling abroad, are also purchasing in bulk. The price of mankurad will only stabilise in the summer, when supply increases and other varieties hit the market,” he said.

Nazare De Souza, who has a mango farm in Chorao, however, said, “Some vendors are trying to take advantage of market forces by selling mixed varieties of mankurad mangoes, which are not properly ripened and matured, to cash in. In a few weeks, the pure variety of mankurad will arrive in the markets.

This variety of mangoes was originally called ‘malcorado’, meaning poor colour in Portuguese. The word later metamorphosed to mankurad over a period of time. Last year, Goa ‘mankurad’ mango, or ‘mankurad’, got the geographical indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. Mankurad are typically small-medium in size, with an oblique oval shape, bright yellowish orange or red blush skin, and have a sweet taste and thick pulpy texture.

The history of mango cultivation in Goa dates back to Portuguese rule, when Jesuit priests are believed to have introduced grafting techniques that helped spread various mango varieties across the state. The application for GI tag filed by the All Goa Mango Growers Association mentions the first reference to the grafting of mango trees in a 1710 publication by a Jesuit priest.

At the time, mangoes were also used as a diplomatic tool. “Portuguese governors in Goa used to send baskets of Goan mangoes to the Peshwas of Pune. The Portuguese later introduced a system of special permits for private traders to export prize varieties of mangoes from Goa,” reads a statement in the GI application.