COIMBATORE: After a prolonged delay in the onset of the season, mango arrivals have finally reached their peak in Salem, with markets across the region witnessing a flood of popular varieties of the summer fruit.
Traders said the season, which usually begins in early March, started only around mid-April this year due to lower initial yields from orchards.
However, with arrivals increasing significantly over the past few weeks, the mango trade has now gathered momentum and is expected to continue for another month. “The season was delayed because the early yield from orchards was poor. But the quality of mangoes this year is exceptionally good. Due to the prolonged dry spell, the fruits are sweeter and tastier than in previous years. Mangoes naturally develop better flavour during dry weather conditions,” said A Jeyapal, a grower and the president of Salem Mango Traders Association.
He added that strong winds over the past week had caused damage in several orchards, leading to the shedding of nearly 10-20% of baby mangoes. Hailstorms in some pockets also affected the crop.
Unlike the Totapuri mangoes cultivated extensively in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, which are largely used for pulp production, Salem’s mango varieties are widely preferred for direct consumption because of their distinctive taste and aroma. Markets in Salem are witnessing brisk sales of popular varieties such as Salem Bengalura, Imam Pasand, Alphonso, Senthoora, Banganapalli, Nadusalai and Malgova.
Traders said several north Indian varieties are also being cultivated in and around the district in large quantities. With demand remaining strong, prices and sales have improved compared to last year. Traders attribute the trend to rising consumption and growing online orders from customers across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States.
“There has been a steady rise in online orders over the years, but this season demand has increased considerably from different parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States,” said J Srinivasan, a mango trader engaged in online sales for more than 10 years.
Meanwhile, in Coimbatore, prices of premium mango varieties have begun to ease slightly following the increase in arrivals. The highly sought-after Imam Pasand variety, which was sold at nearly Rs 200/kg last week, is now being retailed at around Rs 185/kg. Prices of several other varieties have also fallen by Rs 10-20/kg due to improved supply in the markets.