Alirajpur (MP)

The 'Noorjahan' mango variety, hailed as the Queen of Mangoes, is drawing attention in Madhya Pradesh's Katthiwada region after growers reported a fruit weighing 3.3 kilograms was sold for Rs 3,800 this season.

According to mango growers, the largest fruit of this rare variety in the current season so far weighed 3.3 kg. Some of the larger fruits on 'Noorjahan' trees could weigh up to four kg by the end of this month, they told PTI on Tuesday.

Katthiwada region in Alirajpur district, located 250 km from Indore, is especially known for the cultivation of ‘Noorjahan’ and other varieties of mangoes.

Bharatraj Singh Jadav, a mango grower from Katthiwada, said his orchard has two old and 11 new grafted 'Noorjahan' mango trees. The new trees have also begun to bear fruit, and production is expected to increase in the future, he said.

"The Noorjahan mango harvest this season has been satisfactory. The largest Noorjahan mango in my orchard so far weighed 3.30 kilograms, which I sold for Rs 3,800," Jadav informed.

He said that the 'Noorjahan' mango trees in his orchard still bear many fruits, and their final weight will be known only after they are harvested.

According to Jadav, demand for the ‘Noorjahan’ mango is currently coming not only from Madhya Pradesh but also from Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The grower said he recently also received inquiries about the fruit from Tamil Nadu.

This season, 'Noorjahan' mangoes from his orchard have reached the United Arab Emirates, the US, and Spain, although these were not exported directly and people took them abroad through their acquaintances, he said.

Jadav said that his orchard has approximately 2,500 trees of different mango varieties. Ten guards have been deployed to protect the orchard because the 'Noorjahan' mango requires special monitoring due to its high price, he informed.

"We do not use chemicals in Noorjahan mango cultivation. We use organic residues from the forest and natural sources to care for the trees," he added.

Another local mango grower, Shivraj Jadav, said he has six 'Noorjahan' trees in his orchard.

"These trees currently bear several fruits weighing about three kg, and some larger fruits are not yet fully ripe. I expect some mangoes to weigh up to four kg," he said.

The 'Noorjahan' trees begin to blossom in January, and the fruit ripens and is ready for sale by June, according to the mango growers.

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A few decades ago, the maximum weight of 'Noorjahan' mangoes used to be up to 4.5 kilograms, which has now generally decreased to between 3.5 and 3.8 kg, due to climate change and loss of production capacity of the old trees, they added.