Kesar Mango Talala Gir Junagadh District News Gujarat India

A Major mango feast is in the offing for fruit lovers in the region due to an early arrival of the Kesar Keri variety coupled with a bumper crop this season.

This year’s first auction of the fruit began at the Talala Marketing Yard on Tuesday (April 6), which is generally held in May.

According to experts, the season is likely to last till June and rates may also come down as the yield is reported to be 15 per cent more than the last two years.

On the first day of the auction, 8,400 boxes (each weighing 10 kg) arrived from various villages in the Gir region of Junagadh district.

The minimum rate for 10 kg was Rs 150 — nearly Rs 100 less than the previous year. Sadarsinh Chauhan, a member of the Talala Marketing Yard, said: “The weather was perfect this time, as a result of which the fruit has arrived early and in a large quantity. The first lot has arrived with that of hafoos.”

Last season, the marketing yard had auctioned over six lakh boxes, which is expected to increase significantly this year. “Initial trend indicates there will be 15 per cent more yield this season. On the first day itself there were 300 more boxes,” said yard chairman Chagan Kansagra.

Kesar Mangoes Production Talala Junagadh News Gujarat India

Mango growers are ecstatic that this time, unlike previous year, mango production is expected to double or more. Even they were surprised due to the flowering in mango orchards thrice this season.

"On one side we are about to harvest mango and on the other side mango trees are flowering. We are going to harvest double production this year as compared to last year,'' said a mango grower of Ghushiya, Gir, in Talala taluka of Junagadh District, Mensi Sariya.

While it's expected that prices will come down, some like secretary, Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Talala, Harshukh Jarsaniya feel that the real picture will be clear only after the crop starts reaching the market. But many feel otherwise. "We had just 10 per cent crop last year, where as this year it will be 80 to 90 per cent. So prices will come down," said chairman, APMC, Surat, Raman Jani.

Chairman Valsad, APMC, Arvind Patel said, "Last year crops had failed everywhere and only Valsad had some crop so prices were abnormally high. This year it will be below normal." Meanwhile, some of the traders in Valsad mango market are going to start sending mangoes for canning and exports by March 24.

"It's an auspicious day of Ramnavmi and we will start our business from that day. For mango lovers, the sweet treat should be available at an affordable price," said one of the biggest wholesellers of Valsad mango market RR Mishra.

"There has been some damage due to unseasonal rains and some pests, but still yields are very high so we have nothing to worry and some local types are likely to sell at throwaway prices in the mid season," Mishra added.

Kesar Mangoes Keri Talala Junagadh District News Gujarat India

In 1920, Gordhanbhai Sanghani was the first farmer to cultivate the Kesar Keri Variety in Talala town in Junagadh district, which is now known as the hub of one of the juiciest varieties of Kesar mangoes. Around a century later, his grandson Dayabhai has departed from the tradition and has begun cultivating cashewnuts — soon to be followed by other farmers.

Given the fact that this dry fruit fetches better returns than mangoes — with almost nil maintenance — it is fast catching up the attention of the other farmers. Little wonder, the land of juicy mangoes will soon be yielding cashew nuts.

“I have grown cashewnuts on 15 bighas and expecting the first yield. I plan to increase the cultivation area by 100 bighas,” said Dayabhai.

Jasmat Rola from Dhavagir village in Talala Taluka, has a similar story to tell. “I have grown cashewnut on 15 bigha that had turned almost barren. I got 600 saplings from the Konkan University,” he said.

Rola said many farmers have approached him for saplings and have decided to try the alternative to the kesar crop. “We at the Talala Marketing Yard are thinking seriously to set a systematic channel for marketing cashewnuts,” said Sardarsinh Chauhan, a member of the Talala Marketing Yard.

An official at the district horticulture department said the trend is picking up, but the crop cultivation is in the initial stage. The cashew trees yield fruits 10 years after the saplings are planted.

It was the frequent failure of the Kesar crop that forced the Talala farmers to look for an alternative.

“For more than a decade now, every alternate season, the mango cultivators have been facing problem of scanty yield due to unfavorable climatic conditions like less rains, unseasonal downpour or short winter season. Besides, maintaining a mango farm is an expensive affair. All these factors have forced farmers to look for other options,” said Chauhan.

“Growing cashew nuts is very different. The crop does not need plenty of water. Moreover, excessive heat or short winters do not affect it,” said Dayabhai.

But, cashew nuts cannot be an alternative for small-time farmers. “One needs to wait for at least 8 to 10 years to get the first yield. On the other hand, it can be cultivated even on barren type of land,” said Rola. Once the yield begins, a cultivator can expect at least 20 kg of cashew nuts per tree per season. As many as 40 trees can be grown on a bigha without much irrigation or use of pesticides or fertilizers.

Cashew nuts are not a regular crop in the state except in some parts of south Gujarat.

Asiatic Lions Sasan Gir Town Talala Taluka Junagadh District News Gujarat India

Sasan Gir Town (Talala Taluka, Junagadh District) observes bandh in protest against Asiatic Lion's death.

Sasan town in Junagadh district, famous for Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, on Wednesday observed a half day bandh to protest against forest department’s failure of saving a lion which died after falling down from a bridge.

Entire village remained closed for half-day even auto rickshaw and ferry service operators also extended their support by joining in the bandh which was called by local residents in protest against the forest department, sources said.

They also submitted a memorandum to the forest department and demanded that strict action be taken against the responsible forest officials whose alleged carelessness caused a lion's death, they said.

An eight-year-lion died yesterday after falling off a 15 meter bridge constructed on a Hiran river.

The villagers in the memorandum also sought that lion show being organized by the forest department for tourist should be cancelled to save life of lions.

However, deputy conservator of forest, Amit Kumar could not be contacted to highlight the cause of the lion's death but sources from the forest department did not rule out possibility that the lion might have been hit by a moving vehicle.