The Hindu Business Line : Tender mango sector cries for conservation

Mangalore April 12 At a time when the cultivation of mango and its marketing is gaining importance, another area related to this - tender mango, which is mainly used in the preparation of pickles - is hardly recognised by most of us.

The tender mango market generates a turnover of around Rs 12 crore (on the minimum side) in Karnataka alone. This is not an organised market compared to others.

This commodity, which has high potential for marketing, needs attention for conservation. It is to be noted here that tender mango is mainly grown in forests and also on the riversides.

"Appe midi" (midi means tender mango in Kannada) is the king of all tender mangoes as far as its use in pickle industry is concerned.

Mr Shivananda Kalave - a farmer from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district, who organised a tender mango fair at Sirsi last year - told Business Line that the good quality of "Appe midi" costs around Rs 80- 120 a kg and the ordinary one around Rs 30-40 a kg.

Mr Shree Padre, a farmer from Dakshina Kannada district and an expert in rainwater harvesting, said all the pickle making units - both household and factories put together - are making pickle from 4,000 tonnes of "Appe midi" a year.

If the lower side of the price band is taken into consideration, turnover in tender mango market translates into Rs 12 crore a year.

Mr Kalave said the number of "Appe midi" trees is coming down due to the de-forestation and hydroelectric projects. Those in the private lands are being felled for various reasons. With the demand for the commodity increasing every year, some people cut the branches of tender mango plant than going in for bunch harvesting, he said.

However, Mr Beloor Subbanna in Shimoga district has taken interest to cultivate it through grafting technique. He has passed on this technique to several people in the region, Mr Kalave said. "What we need is the institutionalised conservation of Appe midi," he said.

Mr Ramachandra Shetty of MN Pickles at Shiralkoppa in Shimoga district said there was vast demand for "Appe midi" - both from the pickle industry and for domestic use. His firm procures around 150 tonnes of tender mango every year for the preparation of pickles. Still, sometimes he finds it difficult to meet the needs of his customers for pickles prepared from `Appe midi'. Mr Shetty said he exported a good number of tender mango pickles in the last three years. "The Government should take steps to conserve local varieties such as Appe midi," he said.

`Appe midi' is grown in Khanapur and Chittoor areas of Belgaum district; in river valleys of Aghanashini, Kali, Bedthi, Sharavathi and Varada of Uttara Kannada district; and Sagar and Ripponpete of Shimoga district and parts of Chickmagalur district of Karnataka.

Mr Padre said that some like-minded farmers are organising a three-day fair - `Midi Maavu' 2007 (Tender Mango 2007) - at Sagar in Shimoga district from April 23. There will be seminars on various issues related to tender mango, especially with reference to `Appe midi'. The fair will be held in the farm of Mr K.V. Laxminarayana Hegde of Sagar. Farmers are likely to display around 700 varieties during the fair, he said.

Mr Kalave said that 275 varieties of `Appe midi' were displayed at the Sirsi fair last year.

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