Mango enthusiasts in India enjoy a wide range of varieties, including local favorites like Hapus and Keshar. However, Farooq Inamdar, a farmer from Varvand village near Pune, has ventured into cultivating rare international mango varieties—most notably the high-value Miyazaki mango from Japan.
Inamdar has planted 120 mango trees on 20 gunthas (approximately half an acre), comprising 90 international varieties and 30 native Indian ones. The Miyazaki mango stands out for its extraordinary market value, reportedly selling for up to $3,200 per kilo in Japan and around $1,780 per kilo in India.
His interest in exotic mangoes began during a pilgrimage to Hajj, where he was inspired by the diversity of mango species he encountered. Motivated by this experience, he imported saplings from various countries and began cultivating them in Pune.
Two years into the project, Inamdar's orchard now features a broad selection of global mango types, including Red African, Red Taiwan, Arunika, Banana Mango, A2 R2 from Australia, Katomoni, and Shahjahan from Bangladesh, alongside the premium Miyazaki. These exotic mangoes typically retail for hundreds to thousands of dollars per kilo, with each Miyazaki mango weighing around 300 grams; four to six fruits make up a kilo.
Among his other cultivars is Koyatur, a high-yield variety that produces 8 to 10 kilos of fruit per season. Individual fruits from this variety sell for $18 to $60 each.
Buoyed by positive results, Inamdar plans to scale up his operation and introduce more rare global varieties. While he has received considerable interest from potential buyers online, he has decided to keep this year's harvest for personal use.
Source: Hornbill TV