In search of the King of Mangos, we started out early morning on a road trip to Ratnagiri from our home in Navi Mumbai. It was a 7-hour trip on the Old Mumbai Goa highway, crossing Alibag, and then hugging the Konkan coast to reach our final destination- Anish Farms in the heart of Ratnagiri City.
We chose a quaint Resort on a hill-top overlooking the picturesque beaches of Ratnagiri, namely the Aare Ware and Ganapatipule beaches. The breathtaking views, the Golden Sands and the ever-changing shades of the Turquoise Arabian Sea made us wonder why in Gods name does everyone run to Goa?? This my friends, was nothing less than Paradise!Back in the city, we were to meet the inimitable Mr Umesh Lanjekar- the proprietor of Anish Farms, who is somewhat of a Legend among mango farmers in those parts. Holding a masters degree in Agriculture, he is a third-generation farmer who switched to Organic farming many years ago and his orchards date back to the 1950.
Mr Lanjekar is known to be a stickler about his farming practices, no wonder that he has almost all major Indian and international certifications under his belt and holds the distinction of being India's first EuroGAP certified farmer.
It's a hot and humid day of March with some relief being provided in the form of a gentle sea breeze blowing through the farm, which is all of 6 acres situated oddly in the middle of this sleepy town. Apparently, this is the type of weather the King of Fruits thrives on. After a bit of waiting, Umeshji walks out and beckons us to sit. As we exchange pleasantries and introductions, he informs us that he has just taken his first Covid vaccine shot and hence is a little sluggish.
On an impulse we request him if we could do an impromptu interview on our mobile phone camera about his farming techniques and also show us around his Processing Unit while we are at it. To our surprise, that sluggishness is immediately replaced with a childlike glee when we started asking about his Organic Farming Mantras!!
“Do not interfere with Mother Nature’s natural process!”
Every plant knows how to extract maximum nutrition from the soil, so external inputs are not really needed. On the contrary, intervening with the natural process by the addition of chemicals and pesticides, wreaks havoc with the natural relationship between the Plant and the Soil. The use of chemical fertilisers causes a nutritional imbalance in plants that eventually causes them to lose their natural fighting capacity against pests.
Pesticides play havoc with the eco system and is detrimental to soil health. And for the farmer who is in the Export Business, it can be an considerable financial setback, as Indian fruits have had a history of being rejected by foreign markets due to high traces of chemicals and pesticides found in them.
“Always have native plants growing along with the main crop!”
Growing plant species native to the land in the boundaries of the Main Crop plantation provides habitat to natural predators, who are native to the region as well. These natural predators, in turn, prey on pests that are native to that region, protecting the Main Crop and thus negating the use of harmful chemical-based pesticides. Ingenious!!
“Consumers need to demand to see Organic Certification!”
Well, not exactly a mantra but a very important point made by the man himself...Organic farming requires time and diligence. It takes years to undo the damage caused by conventional farming practices, so getting a certification is not that easy! A consumer has the right to know where his food is coming from and how it is being grown. According to him there are 280 pesticides and 32 radioactive heavy metals which are carcinogenic that are used in conventional farming practices! Scary!!
“Every Fruit is Unique- so treat it differently!”
Standard protocol of post harvesting techniques will not always work for every fruit. Mangos are treated with hot water to combat the menace of fruit flies post harvesting. It is an ancient Organic farming technique that is used effectively to protect the King of Fruits!
“Use technology rather than harmful chemicals!”
Unlike the conventional use of a harmful chemical like Acetaldehyde to generate Ethylene gas, the primary ripening agent in many fruits, Mr Lanjekar advocates the use of Organic Food Grade Alcohol to generate just enough Ethylene to stimulate the fruits to produce their own Ethylene and start the ripening process. It's definitely a smarter and a safer way to Tastier Alphonsos. He also uses a Food X-Ray scanning machine to detect spongy tissue which is the bane of Alphonso Mangos as they otherwise look absolutely flawless on the outside but deliver a nasty surprise when cut open!
As we bid him farewell, we realized why the Alphonso is called the King of Mangoes and also the reasons for it demanding such an exorbitant price. First of all, it contains more than 18 nutritional and medicinal components that can even help fight diseases like Diabetes and Cancer! Not to mention its heavenly aroma and delectable taste. It requires utmost care at every step. Even if its own sap falls on the skin, its acidic nature causes the fruit to blacken and spoil quickly. Direct exposure to sunlight can cause the fruits to develop spongy tissue that cannot be detected from the outside. So, storage and transportation protocols are also very strict. Oh, and the fact that Mr Umesh Lanjekar is the only NPOP certified Farm in the region makes his Ratnagiri Mangos all the rarer and more sought-after. These are literally the Diamonds of the fruit world!
All said, it requires tremendous amount of dedication and care to ensure that the King travels from his coastal abode all way to your home so that you can taste that Juicy, Fleshy, Fragrant, Sweet-Sour piece of Mother Nature's magical creation that is called the Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango!
Indraneel Hariharan
Raigad,
Maharashtra
Indraneel is the Co-founder of Organic Amrit and a Musician. He has composed music for many TV and Radio commercials for major brands like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Dettol, Mahindra, Hero Group, Pepsi, Coke, Honda, Lays etc. His score for the movie "Listen Amaya"was nominated for Best Music Debut at the GIMA awards 2013. He is also the founder/bassist of the renowned Indian Fusion band "Mrigya".