Baripada, June 4: Mango growers of Mayurbhanj are now marketing their harvest through their own company. In an initiative that was initially supported by the district administration, the Mayurbhanj Fruits and Vegetables Producers' Company came into existence on November 17 last year, and it is scripting a success story.

Now, the produce of these farmers, mainly small and marginal growers, is reaching distant markets in Delhi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro and many other places in the country, helping them reap considerable profits.

The company is wholly managed by the tribal mango producers who have engaged a young MBA graduate from North Odisha University to look after marketing and other business processes. The company already has 362 producers enrolled as members.

"The district administration helped us form a registered company to export mangoes. Now, we are harvesting vegetables too and marketing them outside the state. The producers have been getting a good price ever since the company started," said Jitendra Hembram, managing director of the firm.

It all began around three years ago when Mayurbhanj district collector Rajesh Prabhakar Patil came across a mango-bearing belt at Basketala in Bangriposhi block. He was told that the area had around 1,800 mango trees belonging to 43 farmers who grew prized varieties such as langada and dussehri.

Patil was shocked when he was told the growers were being exploited by traders from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who took their produce by paying just Rs 150 to Rs 200 for a fruit laden tree.

"These traders came from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and were paying around Rs 150-200 per tree to the tribal mango growers during Makar Sankranti. They would leave a caretaker and harvest the fruits," said Kesab Jha, chief executive of the district supply and marketing society. Jha said things changed following the intervention of the district collector.

Last year, the growers earned a profit of Rs 15 lakh with a harvest of around 83 metric tonnes and shared the amount among themselves. A woman farmer, Shakra Hansda, got the highest amount of Rs 1.4 lakh as share followed by Kisan Murmu, who made a profit of Rs 1.3 lakh. This year, out of the total harvest of 32 metric tonnes, 11 metric tonnes have been exported. "The district collector is like an angel to us," said Murmu.

In Mayurbhanj, mango plantation was undertaken on a plot under Bangiriposhi block under the employment assurance scheme in 1994-95. Initially, the growers were exploited by local middlemen.

The district collector, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, said: "Farmers cannot get best prices unless they operate in a group. That is why the company consists of growers. Now, they are directly in touch with the market and reaping the benefits."