Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): Sankalp Singh Parihar, the owner of a mango grove in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, known for cultivating 28 varieties of Indian and overseas varieties, said, "High temperatures have impacted the mango yield this year. Mango trees started withering due to scorching summer heat with temperatures shooting up to 43 degrees Celsius in April itself. Before the ripening stage, the fruits turned yellowish. The size of the mango has also shrunk. The mango output will be affected up to 50 per cent this year."
People visiting the mango orchard are allowed to take selfies, but told not to touch the fruit because it will affect the yield. These succulent and high-energy giving mango varieties are grown under the watchful eyes of 12 foreign breed dogs, three desi canines and four workers, who provide security to the mango grove round-the-lock. The CCTV cameras have also been installed for protecting the king of fruits.
Several foreign species, including indigenous ones, have been planted in the orchard. Jumbo Green Mango also known as Talala Gir Kesar, Kesar Badam Mango from Nepal, Ivory Mango of China, Mangifera Tommy Atkins grown in Florida, the United States, which is also known as Black Mango, are some of the attractions of the orchard.
Apart from these varieties, Miyazaki, which is also called Japanese Eggplant, Taiyo nee Tamago is also known as Egg of Sun, the orchard has eight overseas varieties besides 20 Indian species. Speaking about Miyazaki, the costliest mango in the world, the owner of the mango plantation, Sankalp Singh said, "One kg of Miyazaki's costs around Rs 2.70 lakh in Indian currency. This variety of mango derived its name from Miyazaki province in Japan where it is grown. Now, the Miyazaki mango is cultivated at several places in the country."
