Season no bar: This Vijayapura farmer grows Thailand mangoes all year long

Pic:Naveen Manganavar and his wife Danamma pose with a Thailand mango tree at their farmVijayapura: Naveen Manganavar, alias Nooranda, 45, a farmer from Shivanagi village in Vijayapura taluk and district, has proven that mangoes are not just for summer, cultivating them year-round. Using water from the UKP irrigation project for his land in Kaggod village, he planted 3,000 saplings imported from Thailand on seven acres three years ago. Now, he is earning over Rs 10,000 a day from mango sales, and his farm has become a hotspot for farming enthusiasts in the region.Manganavar told TOI that he was a part-time employee with an insurance company and went to Thailand in 2011. "Since then, the idea was planted firmly in my mind. When I discussed it with my father and three brothers, they said it is risky to venture into it. However, my research and development work on the same continued along with my other routines. Since our land has some stones, we were growing onions and other crops, but it was not profitable. Finally, my family members allowed me to go forward with Thailand mangoes in 2021, and we ordered 5,000 saplings. In the course of three years, 2,000 saplings failed, and 3,000 started giving fruits from 2024," he added.He further added, "By the time we decided to plant mango saplings, our elected representative, MB Patil, was successful in bringing Krishna River water through lift irrigation projects. Thanks to the canal, our borewell was recharged with plenty of water. Now, we are getting a mango yield of 15-20 dozen per day, and our minimum revenue is Rs 10,000 per day. As many as 7-8 family members work on the farm, and this number increases on weekends. We have tied up with a private courier to send mango boxes as per the demand. As of now, we have a base of retail customers from Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, and Vijayapura," he stated.He is using Jeevamruta and vermicompost to make the fruits free from chemicals. "As they ripen on the tree itself, we need not adopt a ripening procedure using chemicals," he affirmed.Nitish Biradar, another farmer from Shivanagi, commented that seeing this experiment, many are planning to plant Thailand mangoes in the coming years. "When we took these fruits to minister MB Patil, he was happy to know that his irrigation project turned fruitful," he added.Mahantesh Biradar, a horticulture enthusiast, remarked that Thailand mangoes have a different but unique fragrance, and now Vijayapura people are enjoying them throughout the year.

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