Mango is undeniably one of the most popular fruits in India during the summer season. Indians love the ‘king of fruits’ like nothing else and the countless mango-based delicacies are proof of that. From Langda, Alphonso, Chausa, Safeda and so on, mango also enjoys a huge variety, which we all love so much. But how much would you pay to lay your hands on your favourite mango? Would you consider shelling out ₹31,000 for a crate of mangoes? Shocked? Well, that was the price paid for a crate of mangoes at a market in Pune during an auction. Yes, you read that right.
According to an ANI report, the famous Hapus mango reached Pune's APMC market from Devgad in Maharashtra on February 11, and an auction was held to sell this crate of mangoes, with bids starting at ₹5,000 and going up to ₹31,000. Traders claimed that it was the ‘most expensive’ purchase in 50 years.
According to Yuvraj Kachi, a trader, the first crate of mangoes that reached the market was bid for ₹18,000. The second crate went for ₹21,000, and the third and fourth were sold for ₹22,500 each. Kachi said that the fifth crate that was auctioned at the market went for ₹31,000. It is the highest bid in the Pune market in the last 50 years, Kachi was reported as saying by news agency ANI.
He also revealed how these initial mangoes of the season were “auctioned as a ritual because it decides the fate of the trade for the next two months”. This is, perhaps, the reason the first crate of the mangoes are joyously welcomed with a garland of flowers and traders pray with folded hands for a good trade opening for the season.
A YouTube video shared by ANI shows a garland of flowers on the mango crates and a trader explains how the first auction sets the tone of the season.
This isn’t the first-time mangoes created a stir with such a high price on the sale. Last year amid the pandemic, a businessman from Mumbai bought a dozen mangoes for ₹1.2 lakh to help an 11-year-old girl buy a smartphone to study. Besides this, did you know about the world’s most expensive mango? Grown primarily in Japan’s Miyazaki city, Miyazaki mangoes look remarkably different as compared to the usual variety found in India and southeast Asia, and were sold at ₹2.70 lakh per kilogram in the international market in 2020.