Jabalpur: A very interesting story that has been trending on social media now is that of a couple from Madhya Pradesh who has hired four security guards and six dogs (mostly Alsatian breed) to protect two mango trees that have seven mangoes. Wondering why? The reason is quite surprising and has left us shocked too. So, the mangoes that are being guarded are not just any normal mangoes that are easily available in the market, but they are the world’s most rare and expensive mangoes known as the Miyazaki mango or the Japanese Miyazaki mango.
The couple from Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, Rani and Sankalp Parihar, planted two mango saplings years back which they bought from a man while travelling on a train to chennai. The couple thought that they will grow like any other ordinary mango tree, but when the trees grew ruby red mangoes upon maturity, their happiness knew no bounds. In the beginning, the Parihars were shocked to find the unusual colored mangoes, but after they researched it, they got to know that their mango trees are bearing the world’s most expensive and rare mangoes and that they had hit a jackpot.
Narrating the story about the mango trees, Parihar told Hindustan Times, “The man offered these saplings to me and asked to take care of these plants like our babies. We planted in the orchard without knowing what variety of mangoes it will produce.” Adding that last year when the saplings started bearing fruits, they found them to be very different, Parihar said, “As I did not know the name of this variety, I named the fruit after my mother Damini. Later, we researched about this variety and found the real name. But it is still Damini for me.”
As per the report, the couple hired the guards as last year the mangoes were stolen after they became locally known in the area. And this year, the couple has employed the guards hoping it will safeguard the mangoes so that they can use the Miyazaki mango seeds to grow more plants. The couple said that they have no plans of selling the Miyazaki mangoes now.
All you need to know about the Japanese Miyazaki Mango and its price:
The Miyazaki mango which is rarely grown in India and also known as an egg of the sun is originally grown in Japan’s Miyazaki city, and hence it has been named the Japanese Miyazaki mango. As per Japanese media reports, they are among the most expensive in the world and sold at Rs 2.70 lakh per kilogram in the international market. The shiny ruby red-colored mangoes can be sold as high as Rs 21,000 apiece.
According to the Japanese trade promotion centre, the Miyazaki is a type of “irwin” mango which is different from the yellow “pelican mango” widely grown in Southeast Asia. The Miyazaki mangoes are shipped all over Japan, and their production volume is second in Japan after Okinawa.
These mangoes usually weigh over 350 grams each and contain 15% or higher sugar content. The mangoes are also rich in antioxidants and contain beta-carotene and folic acid, which is highly beneficial for people that need help with tired eyes. These rare dinosaur egg-shaped mangoes also help in preventing reduced vision.
Local news reports say that the production of these flaming red mangoes started in Miyazaki in the late 70s and early 80s. The city’s warm weather, long hours of sunlight, and abundant rain made it possible for the farmers in Miyazaki to go for mango farming, the reports said.