The state horticulture department and the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) have launched a joint initiative to rejuvenate several rare mango varieties in Malda districts that are increasingly getting scarce.
Indigenous mango varieties like Dudhkumar, Arajanma, Funia and Dudhia, known for their unique taste and nutritional value for centuries, have become increasingly scarce in recent years.
“These mangoes were not grown in large quantities, but they were popular for their distinctive flavour. However, since they are not commercially viable, many orchard owners gradually switched to high-demand varieties like Lakshmanbhog, Fajli, Khirsapati and Lyangra, which are popular across India and abroad,” said Ujjwal Saha, the president of the Malda Mango Merchants’ Association.
According to the district horticulture department, these traditional mangoes were previously cultivated across 1,200 hectares, but now survive in only 400 hectares of orchards.
“If these mango varieties are not preserved, they face the risk of extinction. We will lose some truly exceptional breeds of mangoes forever,” said Samanta Layek, deputy director of the state horticulture department.
To remedy this, the horticulture department and the CISH have begun collaborative efforts to preserve and propagate these vanishing mango breeds through scientific interventions and targeted orchard management.
Malda, a known mango hub of Bengal, is home to over 250 known mango varieties.
However, local experts point out that a combination of declining commercial interest and rising real estate value of orchards led many owners to sell off many such orchards.
“In recent years, mango orchard lands have been sold off for real estate and other purposes. In fact, orchards growing rare varieties of mangoes are often the first to fold up. Since these mangoes yield less profit, landowners find it more lucrative to sell the land for commercial purposes,” said a mango expert from the district.
This trend has to be reversed before it is too late, he added.
Despite their limited production, rare mangoes like Funia and Arajanma are rich in antioxidants and nutritional value, said Saha.
However, their presence in present-day orchards has gone down alarmingly.
“To cite an instance, if an orchard has 100 trees of Lakshmanbhog, Khirsapati, or Amrapali, you may find only two to four trees of Funia or Dudhkumar,” said Md Nurul Islam, a mango grower from Old Malda.
Currently, mangoes are cultivated over 31,182 hectares of land in Malda, producing an estimated 3 to 3.5 lakh metric tonnes annually.