ગુજરાતી
English
Gandhinagar, 27 October 2020
In 1992, Mohanbhai Patel, a 58-year-old farmer from Palan village in Valsad, Gujarat, discovered a unique variety of mango called Vanalakshmi. Since then, he has given 1 lakh mango steaks to the people. The color of Vanalakshmi fruit is as attractive as that of Vanraj, red. Taste sweet. Its stability is very good, so can be exported abroad. He has made 50 mango trees by grafting this variety in his field. Mohanbhai Patel has developed a new variety of Vanalakshmi mango which provides an alternative to the Alphonso.
He read an Australian journal which wrote that scientists wanted to develop a variety of mangoes. Good color, so that it can be exported. Thereafter, Mohanbhai constantly monitored new varieties of mangoes in and around Valsad.
Vanalakshmi received from Vapi
One day Mohanbhai saw a mango in a nursery in Vapi. He planted his farm in 1992. Maintained it continuously for 4-5 years. Good mangoes came out, then he was named Vanalakshmi. Not a crossbreed or hybrid variety. It is a native mango. Which he got from Vapi’s Patel Nursery near Valsad.
Agricultural scientists see
Made and installed 50 trees in 1994. Made a nice garden. Scientists of Navsari Agricultural University met Mohanbhai’s field as soon as he came to know. Scientists came to his field and observed this new variety of mango for 3 consecutive years. Scientists then thought that it is a new species and it is superior to all others. Is durable. Scientists at Navsari Agricultural University, which seemed to be a new variety, sent all the details to Lucknow, the country’s largest horticultural institute. After that the prepared variety of Mohanbhai became famous.
Award
Due to which Mohanbhai has so far received 4 awards for this breed. The Vanakshmi variety of Mohanbhai was selected by a panel of scientists in Lucknow. Mohanbhai Patel was given the award by HP Singh, Principal Secretary, Horticulture Department of the Central Government for increasing mango production.
The seminar was organized by the Society of Horticulture and Central Institute for Horticulture, Lucknow on 21 June 2011. The symposium was attended by 25 scientists from the US, Germany, Ireland, Nepal, Australia, Spain, Africa. There were 40 scientists and farmers from India. In which Mohanbhai Patel was honoured for increasing production of Vanalakshmi mangoes.
The Udayaratna Award was given on 30 May 2013 at the Amit Singh Memorial Foundation in New Delhi and the Global Conference on Jain Irrigation in Jalgaon. Thereafter, the Government of Gujarat presented the Agriculture Sardar Patel Award.
Demand for Vanlakshmi abroad
Vanalakshmi mangoes are being exported to America and Britain.
In 57 villages of Valsad taluka, Alphonso is produced. On an average, 500 tonnes are produced in each village. The Valsad taluka grows 28500 tonnes of Alphonso. About 40 percent of this, or 11,400 tons of Alphonso, is also exported. The quality of Vanalakshmi batter than Alphonso. That is limited to one farmer. If its cultivation is increased, good demand can be generated abroad.
Effects of global warming
Mohanbhai had decided to make 3500 mans mangoes in 2017-18. But due to global warming, barely 1000 mans were produced. Vanalakshmi has turned 35 years old. Today, Vanalakshmi’s production was 7 years ago, it has come down to 33 percent. Due to the performance of industries around Vapi, now production is decreasing every year. Due to global warming, pollution of industry, production is now 33 percent. Therefore, farmers are no longer planting Alphonso and Vanlakmi mango trees.
Common in 2006 and 2020
The state of Gujarat had mango garden on 72300 hectares in 2006, which has increased to 85400 hectares in 2020. Mango wag has increased by 13,100 hectares in 13 years. On an average 1 thousand hectare mango pads are growing every year. There are 22600 hectares of mango fields in Junagadh and Girsomnath and 21000 hectares in Navsari.
Danger in Valsad
Valsad had 26000 hectares of mango cultivation in 2006 which has come down to 24600 hectares by 2020. It is declining every year. Which is happening due to dangerous pollution of Vapi.
The production of saffron per hectare is decreasing. Gujarat has an annual mango trade worth Rs 2,000 crore. 40 percent of which are from Saurashtra. Thus, where Rs 800 crore worth of saffron mangoes are being planted, disaster is now visible. Saurashtra has witnessed a 4 percent decline in productivity in 10 years due to frequent fungal, climate change, infection. In contrast, the productivity of mangoes has increased by about 20 percent, except for Valsad in South Gujarat.
Impact on production
A mango tree to produce 100 kg of mango fruit but now due to global warming it is hardly 20 to 25 kg. Hence farmers are failing. It is being severely damaged by climate change. All varieties of mangoes are facing such losses.
Vanalakshmi reached many places
Mohanbhai currently has 45 mangoes tree of Vanalakshmi. He has also given grafting sticks to one lakh people. In Vadodara, cricketer Irfan Pathan has planted Vanalakshmi mango trees in his garden. In Vapi, Hindustan Inc. planted Vanlakshmi variety of mangoes. Reliance also has some Vanalakshmi mangoes in Jamnagar. If a farmer comes to Mohanbhai’s field, he does not leave it empty handed, he gives him a grafting stick. Wherever they go, they give them a grafting stick. Many farmers of Anand, Vadodara have Vanlakshmi mango tree.
It takes 40-50 years for a variety to become popular.
Mohanbhai believes that a mango pad is similar to raising a child. He presented to the scientists that it takes many years for scientists to find new varieties and it takes 40-50 years to become the identity between farmers and consumers. In which a generation of farmers passes. But Mary Vanlakshmi is ready to eat.
Cost
The price of Vanalakshmi mangoes is Rs 1400-1800.
