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The popular golden yellow Banganapalli mango, known for its typical taste and aroma, has now got its first brand called Omang. It will also be the first branded mango variety grown in Telangana to hit the market this summer.
eFresh Portal, supported by Nabard, has sourced the variety grown in orchards of Jagtiyal of Karimnagar district on a pilot basis. The company has tied up with farmer producer organisations (FPOs) for this venture, says Srihari Kotela, its Managing Director.
“We will also be extending this initiative on a larger scale to Prakasam, Kurnool and Chittoor districts in Andhra Pradesh which grow these mangoes,” he told BusinessLine . The initial marketing has been done through 15 sales points in the hi-tech city, gated communities and large institutions in the capital.
Demand from corporates“We have also started offering online through Big Basket. With repeated requests coming for the 2-kg boxes priced at ₹150/box, plans are there to increase the sales points and meet the demand coming from corporates such as Infosys, ” Srihari said
This week will see a big push with 4.5 tonnes of mango procured from Jagtiyal farmers. Consumers are showing interest in gifting besides own consumption. “For farmers, the benefit is a higher price they get than what they get from the local mandi. The fruits are tested for residues and directly marketed by us. The consumer gets carbide residue-free, better taste and value-for-money product,” he claimed.
Preserving identity, taste“The idea is to bring back the trust of the consumers and preserve the taste and smell. For best results, the Banganapalli mango should by plucked from early May. However, in efforts to reach markets in New Delhi, Mumbai and earn a good rate, it is being harvested in April itself,” Srihari explained.
Once the venture grows, next summer season, more FPOs will be involved in the process as key stakeholders. The Banganapalli mango, originally introduced by the Nawabs of Banganapalli in Kurnool district is also in race for the geographical indication tag. The variety occupies nearly 70 per cent of the total mango area of four lakh hectares in Telangana and AP. It is cultivated in Krishna, West Godavari, Kurnool, Chittoor, Khammam, Adilabad, Karimnagar and Medak districts.
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