If you think humans are the only ones struggling with the heat, think again. Rising temperatures are affecting flora and fauna alike, altering migration routes, dehydrating wildlife, and perhaps most significantly, disrupting cropping patterns. Growing up, this writer looked forward to summer trips to Mumbai from Delhi, where baskets of ripe, sweet mangoes would arrive through May and often last well into late June, long after the monsoon had settled in. This year, however, even the Alphonso hasn’t been spared.
Alphonso/Hapus, Pairi/Payri and Kesar
Heat waves and unseasonal showers have devastated mango orchards across the Konkan, reportedly destroying up to 80 per cent of the Alphonso crop and pushing prices up by nearly 30 per cent. In Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and neighbouring districts, trees that would normally be full of fruit are carrying only a fraction of their usual yield. To understand this shift, we reached out to Swati Salvi, a Palghar-based cultivator who has been growing mangoes since 2002.
Swati Salvi
Having observed mango cycles for over two decades, she explains, the damage begins long before the fruit appears. “Extreme heat can affect flowers and pollen, meaning fewer flowers develop into fruit. Prolonged heat can also cause mangoes to ripen too quickly, affecting their taste, aroma, and texture, especially premium varieties such as Alphonso.”
That said, despite this year’s poor harvest and soaring prices, Alphonso remains the undisputed king among mango varieties for many consumers. Its distinctive sweetness, aroma, and flavour continue to set the benchmark against which other varieties are usually judged. Which raises the obvious question: if Alphonso is in short supply, what other varieties should we be eating as fans of the fruit, as the season draws to an end?
Where to get your mango peti?
Online
Mumbai Mangoes
Log on to mangoesmumbai.com
Cost Rs 1399 (two dozen)
Pic courtesy/mumbai mangoes
Devgad Mangoes
Log on to devgadmango.com
Cost Rs 1700 (one dozen)
Offline
Pic courtesy/Zama Organics
Zama Organics
At 10th Floor, Pavilion Business Square, SG Barve Marg, Police Colony, Kurla.
Call 8104965924
Cost Rs 385 (per kg)
Pic courtesy/Amarai Organics
Amarai Organics
At Ground Floor, Wilson Building, Gokuldas Pasta Road, next to Chitra Cinema, Dadar East.
Call 916799941
Cost Rs 1950 (per dozen)
Aambo
At Aambo Devgad Hapus, Ram Mandir Road, Rahivashi Sangh, Vazira, Borivli West.
Call 7977804852
Cost R899 (230 gms)
Kubalwadi – The Nature’s Way
At Shop Number 10, Sankalp Building, General Arun Kumar Vaidya Marg, Malad East.
Call 9920465252
Cost Rs 1200 (per dozen)
Savour before the season ends
Raival: A traditional Konkan variety, Raival is loved for its distinctive sweet-and-sour flavour and soft flesh, making it ideal for enjoying by simply squeezing and sucking the fruit rather than slicing it.
Pairi: A fibre-rich mango with abundant pulp, Pairi is preferred for making aamras, thanks to its creamy texture and naturally sweet flavour.
Kesar: Often called the ‘queen of mangoes’, Kesar is famosuly known for its bright saffron-coloured flesh, smooth texture and juicy sweetness, with comparatively lesser fibre than many other varieties available in the market.
