Deba Padhiyami, a tribal farmer living in Malkangiri, a tribal dominated district of Odisha, is in the news these days because of his special mangoes. He has grown Japan’s very expensive and rare variety “Miyazaki” mango, whose price in the international market is said to be around Rs 2.5 to 3 lakh per kg. However, despite growing such an expensive crop, the biggest challenge they face now is to find buyers.
What is special about Miyazaki mango?
Miyazaki mango is originally grown in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. This mango is famous throughout the world for its deep red and purple color, extreme sweetness, soft texture without fibers and excellent taste. It is counted among the most expensive mangoes in the world.
Farmers sleeping under trees due to fear of theft
As the discussion about this mango is increasing in social media and news, the worries of farmer Deba are also increasing. They fear that someone might steal these precious mangoes. This is the reason why now he leaves home at night and sleeps on a cot under a mango tree and is monitoring it day and night.
Problems increased due to not finding a buyer
Deba does not have any big network or market contacts to sell this luxury fruit. Agricultural experts believe that for such expensive mangoes in India, the right corporate buyer, exporter or luxury hotel chain is needed, only then the farmer can get a fair price.
Got results after four years of hard work
About four years ago, a social worker had given a small Miyazaki mango plant to Deba. It was not easy to preserve this plant in the difficult climate of Malkangiri. But Deba continued to take care of it using organic methods. Finally, after years of hard work, this tree has started bearing fruits.