Carbide-free mangoes steal the show

Just 15 days into the mango season, the King of Fruits was the main draw at the Hopcoms centre at Hudson Circle, on Wednesday.

The centre will be the first of the 239 centres in the City that will host the national-level mango and jackfruit mela organised by Hopcoms.

Carbide-free mangoes is the highlight of the mela this time.

“Carbide is generally used to quicken the process of ripening after mangoes are plucked. However, here we do it the natural way,” said Kumar N, an employee at Hopcoms.

Bangaloreans can savour the choicest of mangoes at discount prices. Also, several mobile outlets selling mangoes can be spotted in the City.

“These days we cannot trust anything we buy, as we are unaware of chemicals used in growing fruits and vegetables,” said Sunil Christopher, an IT professional. Such sales, as the one hosted by Hopcoms, come as a relief, he said.

Customers, along with their children, were found at the centre checking out varieties of mangoes. The staff at Hopcoms said the sales would pick up in the coming week, with more number of people coming to know of the mango festival.

The centre has set itself a target of selling at least 1,000 tonnes this year. Last year, as many as 496 tonnes of mangoes were sold for Rs 173 lakh.

“Mango is one of the few fruits that children hanker after. With the way Bangalore is growing by leaps and bounds, it is tough to spot vendors selling fresh fruits.

Whereas, supermarkets sell fruits at very high prices,” rued Manjula Sampath, a homemaker. In such a scenario, the mango festival organised by Hopcoms is a welcome treat, she added.

Of the nine varieties of mangoes displayed, Raspuri is a hit among buyers. Mangoes have been procured from Ramanagara and Channapatna. A few more tonnes of mangoes are expected to arrive from Kolar and Srinivaspur soon, said Kumar.

“We have entered into an understanding with growers to ensure that mangoes are carbide-free,” he added.

The Hopcoms outlet on Hudson Circle sold mangoes worth Rs 1.25 lakh on Wednesday alone.