From farm to fork: The juicy rise of Karnataka’s online mango sale

Bengaluru: In the last five years, inspired by the online sales of mangoes on the government portal, close to 14 mango farmers in the state have started their own websites to promote and sell their produce.

The Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL), in 2018, launched a dedicated portal to sell mangoes, helping farmers reach consumers directly and eliminate middlemen.

The portal received immense public support, prompting many farmers to launch their own websites.

"I started my own website about three years ago, and now, only through my website, I sell close to 10 tonnes of mangoes annually,” said Bhaskar Reddy, a farmer who grows nearly 20 varieties of mangoes at his farm near Kolar and runs the website www.kolarmangoes.com.

Over the years, Reddy’s customer base has grown, and now close to 1,000 customers place orders on his website every year.

Having their own websites help farmers develop a dedicated customer base, which in turn sustains their business, opined officials from the KSMDMCL.

Aruna Anjanappa, a farmer from Gouribidanur who runs www.kempegowdamangofarm.com, said that online portals had drastically improved sales. “We sell the yield both on the mango board's portal and our own website. Through this, we sell at least 200 to 300 boxes of three-kg mangoes every week,” she said.

Farmers also noted that having their own websites allows them to sell mangoes over a longer period. The government website is usually open only during the peak mango season. “While the government portal is yet to open, I started receiving orders through my portal from April 1, and there has been a huge demand,” Reddy said.

Govt portal to go live from next week

The KSMDMCL has begun preparations to launch its website for mango sales, expected to go live from Monday.

Orders placed on the website will be delivered through the Indian postal service.

Mango lovers will have the opportunity to choose from close to 20 varieties of mangoes, which will be delivered directly by the farmers.

Website to order: https://www.karsirimangoes. karnataka.gov.in.