Khammam: Mango lovers flock to farmer selling naturally-ripened fruit

Khammam: With the advent of the summer season, markets are flooded with mangoes, the king of fruits. But the people of Khammam look for the farmer who provides the fruit ripened naturally.

Every year, farmer Banoth Laxman Naik and his son Ravinder calcium offer carbide free mangoes to the people of city. They have been have been selling the naturally ripened fruit for 11 years.

They grow mangoes on their farm at Govidarala of Kamepally mandal in the district. Every year at the beginning of the summer season they organise mango mela at the R&B guest house area in the city.

The Khammam city residents wait for the mango mela and purchase the fruit happily.

"I have been purchasing these carbide-free mangoes since last ten years from them. There has been no change in the taste. On the contrary, the fruits that are sold in the market get polluted because of the use of calcium carbide and other chemicals to ripen them, which is very dangerous to the health," said K Tirumala Rao, a resident of the city. He lauded the farmers who strived for providing calcium carbide-free fruits to the people every year in the summer season.

District horticulture officer G Anasuya has all praise for the mango growers who is selling the fruit ripened in a healthy way. There is a heavy response to this mela, she said.

Farmer Banoth Laxman informed that they are growing 35 varieties of mangoes on their 10 acre farm. He said chinna rasalu, pedda rasalu and banginapalli varieties are available now and other varieties will be available in a couple of days.

He said, the prices of the fruits are reasonable which vary from Rs 80 to 100 per kg. The farmer also exports the fruits to Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Rajamundry markets also. His mangoes are in huge demand in both Telugu States, he said proudly.