Pune: The Market Yard in Pune has welcomed the first batch of mangoes this season, with a box of Kesar mangoes setting a record price. The box, containing 5.25 dozen mangoes, fetched ₹31,000 in Sunday’s (January 12) auction, marking a promising start to the mango season.

This year’s first consignment arrived from Devgad, sourced from the orchard of farmer Saad Mulla. The box was delivered to trader Aniruddha alias Bapu Bhosale’s shop and was brought to Pune by Sai Amba Service’s Pranit Manjrekar. The prized box was purchased during the auction by trader Raosaheb Kunjir.

The auction event saw the presence of several notable individuals, including senior BJP leader Baba Misal, Balasaheb Konde, Arun Veer, Yuvraj Kachi, Gaurav Ghule, Rohan Jadhav, and others from the trading community.

According to traders Bapu Bhosale and Balbhim Majalgawe, the arrival of Kesar mangoes before Hapus mangoes is unusual. Typically, the market first sees Hapus mangoes; however, Kesar has arrived earlier this year due to weather conditions. Regular mango arrivals are expected to commence by March 15, with the quality of mangoes anticipated to be excellent this season.

Kesar mangoes, traditionally grown in Gujarat, have seen a rise in cultivation in the Konkan region due to its favorable climate. This development has boosted production and supply, with this year witnessing an early arrival of Kesar mangoes ahead of the renowned Hapus variety.