Agencies

June 16: This is the peak season of mango. Depending on the variety, one can enjoy the taste of mangoes at different prices. Last week in Siliguri, a rare variety of mangoes was sold at the price equivalent to gold. A farmer in West Bengal's Birbham district sold mangoes produced in his garden for Rs 30,000 each.

The price of this mango was equal to the price of 5 grams of 24 carat gold. The name of this mango sold at the price of gold is Miyazaki. The place of origin of this purple-red mango is Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan. This is arguably the most expensive mango in the world. The price of this mango in the world market is Rs 2.5 million per kilogram. The weight of this mango ranges from 350 grams to 900 grams.

According to the Indiatimes, this ruby-red-coloured fruit is also known as “Egg of the Sun” or Taiyo-no-Tamago in Japan.

“Mitazaki is a type of ‘irwin’ mango which is different from the yellow ‘pelican mango’ widely grown in Southeast Asia. It contains beta-carotene and folic acid and is considered to be rich in antioxidants,” Indiatimes reported.

Mangoes of other varieties are also being sold at high prices. Mangoes have become expensive all over the country as the production has been affected due to adverse weather conditions. Traders say that the production of Alphonso mangoes grown in Maharashtra and Konkan region have been reduced by half and the prices have increased.

In Gujarat, the saffron variety of mango has not ripened yet. Due to the low production, exports have also been affected.

Miyazaki mango plants need special care. The cultivation of this variety requires long hours of bright sunshine and abundant rainfall.

In April last year, two Miyazaki mangoes were reportedly sold in Japan for 500,000 yen (about 4,000 dollars).

Recently, farmers in India have started getting attracted towards the cultivation of this mango. The taste of this mango, which is known as egg of the sun, is also very sweet. In foreign countries, this mango is especially used as a gift.