In a report titled “Mangoes: A case study of how Goa is losing globally precious agro biodiversity heritage”, Dr. Nandkumar Kamat sounds a global call to save Goan mangoes from extinction.

IT IS called ‘king of fruits’ and ‘fruit of the kings’. Which fruit of Goa has seven percent of global diversity? Is not saving Goan mangoes as important a task as saving the Royal Bengal tigers? What do we do if we lose this gene pool? I am alarmed by the rapid biodiversity erosion of Goan mango varieties. Global Goan mango lovers need to petition the Agriculture Department of Goa and the three MPs on this issue. In the current international year of biodiversity, the slogan should be “Save Goan Mangoes from extinction” or “Sambaluya Goenchya amyache girest daiz”.

ORIGIN

MANGO (Mangifera indica L.) (Anacardiaceae) has its origin in the Indo-Burma region during the earlier period of the Cretaceous era. India has the world’s largest mango gene pool. Mango spread from India to other countries. Within India, Goa has the largest number of mango varieties.

According to me, Goan mangoes are the indigenous ‘mangoes of Goa’,  either one of the 100+ catalogued varieties or those traditionally proven cultivars which have a definite origin in Goa and have a history of  cultivation in Goa mostly organically.

Unique. Goa has a rich diversity of 100-110 varieties of mango which represents 10-11% of India’s mango diversity (with 1000 cultivars) and seven percent of  global mango diversity (1600 cultivars). This is remarkable for a small state. It means that for every 34 sq kms geographical area, Goa has a different, unique mango cultivar. This was magic of classical grafting techniques. The ICAR-Goa monograph records only 50-60 varieties. There are no dedicated commercial plantations. Just about 3000 hectares of land is under mango cultivation. This means the cultivar density is very high — a large number of different cultivars occupy a small cultivation area.

Thousands of mango trees have been cut in the villages without even attempting re-plantations. A 100-year-old tree on Merces lake, described majestically by St Cruz’s poet laureate Paulino Dias, was cut mercilessly to permit ever growing lakeside encroachments. A mango tree on NH 17 A, which survives near the GMC bus stop, opposite the Dental college complex, was saved from slaughter due to my efforts 20 years ago. When mango trees get slaughtered, no biodiversity impact assessment is made to check whether any rare variety gets lost. The village panchayats also have no record of the wealth of mango cultivars. A globally rare mango variety like  ‘Ananas’ found only at Cansaulim, Mormugao taluka (village of T B Cunha, Chandrakant Keni, Matanhy Saldanha and many others) might have been lost already. Only two trees were reported in that village. These were the only two last surviving trees of Ananas mango variety anywhere in the world. If by chance, any more such trees are found in Cansaulim, it is duty of the owners to conserve them and propagate the germplasm.

The peak season for Goan mangoes is from end of April to mid June. The best mangoes are sold in May.

REMINISCENCES

1969: We feast on a basket of Malacorado mangoes. At a time, we buy 100-150 mangoes. A certain supplier from Chorao delivers the mangoes. In May, we see 30-40 varieties of local mangoes in the market.

1979: Mango prices increase with the boom in tourism. But we can still afford to buy the best local varieties. Totapuri, Neelam are not seen in the market.

1989: Very few varieties of local mangoes (15-20) are found in markets. Still good quality Malcorado, Fernandin, bemcurado are sold at affordable rates.

1999: Alphonso mangoes are marketed in Goa in large quantities. Neelam, Totapuri also dominate the market. The number of local varieties goes down. In Mapusa market, one could see 20-25 varieties.

2001- In 21st century Goa, mango prices go through the roof. In Panaji market a local tribal woman refuses to tell me the price: “Te mharog, tuka te parvadache nat” (don’t ask the price, you would not be able to purchase them). A new culture has developed. The mango sellers can determine your purchasing power (for mangoes). I tell the woman that I spend more money on expensive apples. Best quality Alphonso mangoes are sold for Rs.200 per dozen. Mango diversity is not seen in the market — only 10-15 varieties are detected.

2009: A bad year for local mangoes. Climate change also affects the production. I fail to purchase any local mangoes. Reasons? Poor quality and high prices. As for diversity, only 10-12 varieties are seen with Malges dominating.

2010: Reports indicate that local mangoes will be very expensive. The first crops attract a premium price of Rs.100 each, a record.

The future?!

2020: Cheap, branded, transgenic mangoes replace Goan mangoes.

Goa urgently needs a Mango Mission and a global movement to “Save Goan mangoes”. Otherwise, by 2015-20, Goa will be left with only 10-15 varieties.

Reproduced here is my preface to a book of mango recipes - A treasure trove of Goan Mango dishes (Rajhauns, 1998) written by my sister Ms Nilima, now in second edition.

BASIC FACTS

Family. Anacardiaceae

Scientific Name. Mangifera indica

Origin. South and Southeast Asia

Description. Mango is a large, deep-rooted, symmetrical evergreen tree growing to 20-30 m high and 25-30 m wide. It has simple, alternate, lanceolate leaves 30cms to 40 cms  long that are yellow-green, purple or copper coloured when young, turning leathery, glossy and deep green when mature. New leaves arise in terminal growth flushes that occur several times a year. The pyramidal flower panicles borne on mature terminal branches contain several hundred pale pink to white flowers that are about ¼ inch wide when open.
Most of the flowers function as males and provide pollen, but some are bisexual and set fruit. Pollination is by flies, wasps, and bees.  The fruit weighs about 120g to 1400g. Fruit shape varies according to variety and may be round, ovate or obovate. The colour of immature fruit is green, gradually turning to yellow, orange, purple, red, or combinations of these colours as the fruit matures. Mature fruit has a characteristic fragrance and a smooth, thin, tough skin. The flesh of ripe mangos is pale yellow to orange and is juicy, sweet and sometimes fibrous. The single seed is usually large and flattened and adheres to the flesh. The seed contains one or more embryos, depending on variety or type.

Mangoes are commonly peeled and eaten fresh as a dessert fruit but are also used in juice preparation and made into preserves, chutney, dried slices and pickles. The recipes in this book include many of these mouth-watering preparations.

MANGO HERIT AGE

MANGO, scientifically known as Mangifera indica, is known as king of the fruits and the fruit of the kings. Mango has interesting mythology, folklore, culture and symbolism in Indian civilisation. The magic of mango has cast its spell on this country for at least 4000 years. According to the eminent historian of Indian agriculture, Dr M S Randhawa, no other fruit is so closely associated with the Indian civilisation as the mango. The original home of mango is in Assam, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. The word manga is of Malay origin.

The different names for mango include amra or am in Sanskrit (the word am for mango seems to resemble the old tamil omai or ma: it could be of southern origin); amri in Gujarati; Amba in Marathi, mavin hannu in Kannada; and ambo in Konkani.

The Portuguese called it manga from the Tamil man-kay or man-gay. The genus Mangifera has 41 valid species. All edible species belong to M. indica. A mango tree attains an age of hundred years or more. India has more than 1000 cultivars (different types) of mango. The small western coastal state of Goa itself boasts more than 100 cultivars. Basically mangoes can be divided in two types, the sucking and the table type. The sucking type has thin juice and more fructose. Commercial table types have thick pulp and more sucrose. Mango is indeed the king of fruits because it occupies the first place in India in terms of the area and production among all the fruits. India has 11.16 lakh hectares under the mango crop with a production of 92.23 lakh tonnes and a productivity of 8.11 metric tonnes.

With better cultivation practices, this could be raised to 15MT.  Mango as a major horticultural crop has established a sustainable economy. Mango cultivation, production, marketing, processing employs about 50 million people countrywide. More mango production will create more employment opportunities.

The diversity of mango varieties in India is truly amazing. In Uttar Pradesh you get dusheri, safeda, fazri, chausa, taumuria, Langra and in Bihar hemsagar, krishnabhog, sindurai, sukra are popular. The land of Gurudev Tagore, West Bengal, is famous for murshidabadi and fazli malda. In Andhra Pradesh, they prefer rumani, neelam, benishan, totapuri, malgoa and goabunder varieties whereas in Karnataka they cultivate maddappa, peter and fernandin. Originally Goan, the alfonso variety is popular in Maharashtra. By no means this list is complete.

MANGO-LORE OF INDIA

THE mango was probably not known to the Vedic Aryans because there are no notices of mango in Rigveda. The noted food historian K T Achaya is rather surprised that it is only as late as the Samhitas and Brahmanas of the Yajurveda that the fruits are first mentioned. The reference to Amra first occurs in the Satpatha brahmanas. References to mango occur in Ramayana (2.49.9), Mahabharata (3.158.44), Patanjali’s Mahabhashya, Panini’s ashtadhyai (8.4.5) and in the Buddhist and Jain literature, Charak and Sushruta samhitas. The Brihadaranyakopanishada (4.3.36) compares the death of the person to separation of the ripe mango from its stalk. The use of mango juice appears to be as old as Buddhism. The Abhantar jataka tells the story of king Kosala who plucked ripe mangoes from his orchard and prepared a sweetened mango juice. It cured his stomach ailment. The fruit beverages allowed by Buddha for monks were of eight kinds, which included the juice of ripe mangoes to be drunk in the evening. Kautilya’s arthashastra mentions a kind of liquor called Sahakarsura made from Mango juice. The emperors imposed a tax on mango-asava (wines) during the Mauryan period. Kautilya, in his arthashastra, advises the citizens to plant mango trees near the wells. Varahamihira comments on the custom of planting mango trees to demarcate property boundaries. During his expedition to India, Alexander the great was impressed by the mango gardens in Sindh in 327 BC.
From the Mauryan age onwards, the emperors keenly promoted mango cultivation in India. The Moghul emperor Akbar planted one lakh mango trees at Darbhanga-Bihar at a place which later came to be known as lakshabaga.

In mythology. The Puranas refer to the lord of Kanchi as “ekamparanatha” meaning the lord of the mango tree. It was in the form of Amreshwara — a mango tree in which Lord Shiva gave shelter to the sage Markandeya at the time of the great deluge. In Bhavishottara purana, it is said that he who plants at least five mango trees will never see hell. Brihatsamhita mentions the use of mango wood for making images of gods. The Tamil classic Silappadikaram (200-500 AD), mentions mango as a major fruit of the region.

Impresses travellers. Foreign travellers to India have not ignored the magic of mango in their travel accounts. Chinese pilgrims Fa Hien (405-411 AD) and Hien Tsang (630-645 AD) mention mangoes in their account. Ibn Haukal (950 AD), an Arab geographer from Baghdad, stated that mangoes were produced in great abundance round Cambay in Gujarat. The Moroccan geographer Al Idrisi (1080 ad) mentions mangoes in Ibn batuta (1340 AD). Ma-huan (1406 AD) was an interpreter in the huge party of 30,000 led by Cheng Ho, which was sent abroad in 62 ships by the Chinese emperor. He mentions the abundance of mangoes in Bengal. Italian traveller Ludovico de Varthema (1503-1508) reported on mangoes.

In art, literature and rituals. The mango tree, fruit-bearing branches, leaves, blossom and fruits have influenced Indian art and literature. Sculptures at Barhut show a mango tree. Mango was a favourite fruit and apart from trees, the fruit bearing branches are also depicted both at Barhut and Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh. The Yakshi standing under a fruiting mango tree which decorates a gateway to Stupa I at Sanchi is a masterpiece of Indian sculpture. In their classic book, Indian art historians Marshall and Foucher comment on the beauty of this sculpture: “Swaying gracefully from a branch of a mango tree, the vrikshaka is singularly beautiful. Holding with both hands to the arching bough of the mango tree, the salabhanjika “curves the woodbine of her body” in an attitude which brings out her breasts ”like urns of gold”. The sculptural type represents a pleasing compromise between the court lady and the woman of the woods. The mango frequently occurs among the sculptures of Barhut. In the relief showing presentation of Jetavana monastery, a mango tree is shown. A Sunga period work at Barhut depicts mango tree and fruits in bas relief. Mango motif is used as ornamentation in jewellery and textiles.

Poets like Kalidasa use the beauty of mango trees, orchards, blossoms in their works. The Sanskrit poetic names show the romance of the Indian poets with mango. Mango is variously called Vasantaduta (messenger of spring), Madhudata (giver of honey), Kamang (cupids’ embodiment), Kokilvasa (abode of cuckoos) or Kamavallabha (amorous). One of Kamadeva’s floral arrows is that of amra-manjiri (mango blossoms). Amir Khusro, the medieval turkoman poet saint, praised mangoes in his Persian works.

Mango dominates Indian folk rituals. Mango leaves are prominently used in rituals to ward off evil. The Mangala-kalasha (Holy urn) is decorated with mango leaves. Mango trees and fruit are considered as symbols of fertility and prosperity. During the Hindu female festival of Vata-Poornima, women distribute mangoes as prasad. During the month of Chaitra, tribal farmers in Chhattisgarh and Nagpura perform the ceremony of worshipping the first mango fruit. Some tribals first perform the mock wedding of a mango tree and then eat the fruit. In some tribals, there is a custom of marrying the bridegroom first with a mango tree and then the bride. Markam tribals have mango as totem. There are some strange beliefs associated with mangoes. For example, the Gadaba and Konda tribals relate mangoes to male testicles.

MANGO IN GOA

THE Kadambas of Goa (1000-1350 AD) and later the governors of Vijayanagara empire (1380-1472 AD) promoted mango orchards in Goa close to temple complexes and in their capital cities. The local self-governed village associations of Goa, the gaunkaris, brought huge areas under mango cultivation. Goa has over 100 cultivars of mango grown over an area of 3700 hectares and yielding about 35-40,000 MT. The diversity of mango cultivars reflects the years of efforts in grafting. Although crude methods of grafting were known in India, the Portuguese perfected the art of mango grafting in Goa. Only the dominant and popular varieties enter the market. These include mankurad, hilario, salcete mussarat, bardez mussarat, malgesh, nicolau afonso, xavier, udgo, culas, fernandin, goa alfonso, karel, furtad, costa, sakri, rosa, bishop. Mankurad is very popular as a table fruit. Hilario is the sweetest mango in India. Karel is preferred for pickles. Mussarat is good for jams and jellies. The famous Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta in his ‘Colloquios dos simplices and drogas e cousas medicinais da India’ (1567) devotes an entire chapter to the mango. He reports the medicinal uses of mango. The baked mango seeds fight against congestion and the bitter mango kernel is an intestinal de-worming agent. A British traveller, Dr John Fryer (1673), an East India company surgeon, praises the mango varieties found in Goa. Captain Alexander Hamilton (1727) wrote, “The Goa mango is reckoned the largest and most delicious to the taste of any in the world and the wholesomest and best tasted of any fruit in the world.” The French doctor Bernier (1765), after tasting the mango jam/jelly, wrote “There is no more delicious jam or jelly in the world.”

Mango in diplomacy. Mango diplomacy is something unheard of in India. But the documents in Goa archives tell a different story. Renowned Indo-Portuguese historian Pandurang Pissurlenkar has reported that during the 16-17th century, Alfonso mangoes were sent to Delhi for obtaining the favours of the Moghul emperors and their influential nawabs. The Bhonsules of Sawantwadi were also engaged in such mango diplomacy. The Portuguese governors in Goa used to send baskets of Goan Alfonso and Fernandin mangoes to the Peshwas of Pune. Portuguese diplomat at Pune, Vithalrao Valaulikar, wrote in 1792 to the governor in Goa to ban all private trade in mangoes from Goa to Deccan markets so as to increase the novelty and value of Goan mango varieties. The Portuguese introduced a system of special permits for private traders to export prized varieties of mangoes from Goa.

Goan mango grafts. It is not known whether the permit system was applicable to Goan mango grafts. The work done by the Portuguese missionaries and the Goan cultivators popularised Goan mango grafts. The first reference to the grafting of mango trees is to be found in a 1710 publication by Jesuit priest Francisco de Souza. Father Clemente da Ressureicao in his ‘Tratado de Agricultura’ (1872) describes grafting techniques. Bernardo Francisco da Costa in his manual ‘Practico Do Agricultor Indiano’ (1872) wrote on mango cultivation methods.

He founded the first canning factory in India in 1882 and made a case for exporting Goan mangoes in the shape of slices in syrup as well as jelly form. Bernado da Costa could be considered a pioneer in modern mango processing in India. Another Portuguese mango-lover, General Joao de Sampayo (1902), in his booklet A Mangueira, lists 33 mango varieties in Goa. A recent publication by ICAR-GOA Centre lists more than 100 varieties. Mangoes from Goa were exported to Brazil in 1811. The British took the Goa Pires variety to Bombay. It came to be called as Bombay pairi. From Bombay, the mango reached the islands of West Indies under the British control. Famous voyager Captain Cook found mangoes in Jamaica in 1788. The Jamaicans still call their mangoes “Bombay mangoes”. References to mangoes are found in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novels.