Alphonso Mango

Overview

Alphonso is a variety of mango grown in Konkan region in Maharashtra State comprising of (five) districts viz., (i) Palghar, (ii) Thane, (iii) Raigad, (iv) Ratnagiri and (v)Sindhudurg. The colour of the fruit is attractive orange yellow, pulp is firm but melting, fibreless, texture soft, flavour pleasant and taste very sweet. It has an attractive red blush towards basal end, which is typical of this fruit from the Konkan region and not in other area.

This delicious and juicy mango with pleasant flavour and fragrance has long been one of the world's most popular fruits. India grows the finest mangoes in the world and although more than a thousand varieties exist, the Alphonso is considered the best. The luscious fruit is loved for its wonderful colour, wholesome fragrance and irresistible taste. Accordingly, the Alphonso is nicknamed as "King of Mangoes".
 

History

Origins of Alphonso: The name ‘Alphonso’ can be traced almost 400 (four) hundred years back to a Portuguese noble man, Afonso De Albuquerque. He introduced this exquisite and expensive variety of mango by bringing them on his journeys to Goa. The locals called it ‘Aphoos’ in Konkani while it was pronounced as ‘Hapoos’ in Maharashtra. Thereafter, it spread to the coastal track of Maharashtra particularly to Konkan region.


Alphonso – As a Variety: Alphonso, the most delicious variety of mango, is known for its excellent texture, taste, aroma, early bearing and keeping quality. The botanical name of the Alphonso mango is Mangifera Indica L. Plantations of Alphonso in the Konkan region is being presently cultivated on an area of about 1,84,000 hectares in the year 2008. In the Konkan region, more than 95 % of the area is under production of a single variety viz., Alphonso.

 

District Profiles

  • Name: Ratnagiri
  • Area: 8,208 km2
  • Population: 1,615,069
  • Literacy: 82.18%

How to get there:

  • Airport: Ratnagiri Airport (IATA: RTC, ICAO: VARG) is a public airport located in Mirjole, Ratnagiri district
  • Railway Station: Ratnagiri railway station (RN) is a train station that serves the city of Ratnagiri in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the one of the main railway stations of the Konkan Railway.
  • Highway: The Ratnagiri-Nagpur National Highway, named NH-204, links Ratnagiri to the eastern cities and towns of India like Solapur, Nanded, and of course, Nagpur.

 

Value Chain

Supply Chain

Raw Materials: 

  • Mango Seeds
  • Water

Resources/ Inputs: 

  • Labour

Processing

  • These unique mango plantations are situated around 20 kilometers away from the Arabian sea, on a mildly hilly terrain. This region has a distinctive ground profile which has hard laterite rock as its base foundation with plenty of red fertile soil on top to provide nutrition to the mango trees. 
  • It also experiences a lot of rainfall during the rainy season and extreme heat during summer. A combination of sea breezes, unique ground profile and characteristic weather conditions have resulted in a mango fruit which is superior in taste, aroma and texture to other mango cultivars of the world.
  • Attempts were made to replicate these growing conditions in other regions of the world but only with limited success. After harvest, only the highest quality mango fruits are carefully hand-picked by a dedicated team of mango connoisseurs and stored in an environment which is perfect for appropriate ripening of mangoes. 
  • Freshly harvested Alphonso mangoes are green in color. It takes around eleven days for a harvested mango to be fully ripe. Once ripe, they are washed hygienically and graded further according to their weight.
     

To Market:

Packing: Packing of Alphonso mangoes is done in wooden boxes for the distant marketand corrugated boxes are used for export purpose.

Domestic Transport / Shipping for Exports: Transport in un-refrigerated carriers is done during evening and night only to avoid the incidence of spongy tissue as temperature is low during night hrs.

Sea exports: It is transported under refrigeration conditions, wherein the respective vessels having entire refrigerated decks filled with pallets. In the case of sea containers, each is linked to central ducted refrigerated container vessels. Alternatively, integral containers with their own individual cooling systems or in integral controlled atmosphere (CA)containers may be used.

 

Schemes

Central Government schemes

  • National Food Security Mission (NFSM)- Rice, Maize, Pulses, Jute, Oilseeds.
  • Sub-Mission Of Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM)
  • Sub-Mission On Agriculture Extension (SMAE)
  • National e-Governance Plan For Agriculture (NeGP-A)
  • National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)-Rainfed Area Development (RAD)
  • Soil Health Card Scheme (SHC)
  • Sub-Mission On Seeds And Planting Material(SMSP)
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)
  • Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana-Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY- RAFTAAR)
  • Sub-Scheme Reclamation Of Problem Soil Under RKVY