How a painter’s love for mangoes changed his life: Now he grows world’s most expensive mangoes in Tripura, at Rs 2.75 lakh per kg

Mango Lovers: 42-year-old Pragyan Chakma, a painter-turned-horticulture enthusiast and businessman, has succeeded in growing Miyazaki mango, the world’s costliest mango, in Tripura. The authorities have now taken note of his agricultural achievements for the second consecutive year. And this is understandable. Miyazaki mangoes, which are recognized by their bright red color when ripe, are offered for sale in the international market at around Rs 2.75 lakh per kg.

Media sources claimed that he started mango farming five years ago and has been selling Miyazaki mangoes for two years now. Pragyan Mango is a fruit garden spread over 4 acres, with different varieties of mangoes, including Miyazaki, Khatimon, American Palmer, Rangui, Amrapali, Rambutan, Dragon Fruit and Apple Plum. At the local market in Gandacherra, Pragyan sold his Miyazaki mangoes for Rs 1,500 per kg, despite the fact that they were not tested by the Department of Horticulture and did not have a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. He claimed that last year he sold around 20 kg of Miyazaki mangoes in his neighbourhood. Pragyan is now hoping to harvest about 40 kg of this unusual variety from some Miyazaki plants in his garden.

painter to farmer

It was not easy for Pragyan to become a farmer from an artist. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Pragyan ran Chunnilal Lalitkala Academy, an art school in Pancharatan, a small village under the control of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) in Dhalai district, about 82 km from Agartala. While visiting a friend’s house in Bengal, find some “baromashi (year-round fruit)” mango trees. He kept on completing the painting tasks as he was addicted. He receives some money through his art program, and he also does some odd jobs. He planted everything in his garden.

role of youtube

He claimed that, in the absence of any support from the government, he relied heavily on YouTube and the Internet in general to study about Miyazaki mangoes and gain the knowledge needed to produce a plant that would be his favorite. was unknown to most of the people in the area. He initially used a pump to draw water from the nearby Thakurcherra nullah to start his Miyazaki crop. But a year after he sold his first crop, the neighboring Department of Agriculture and Horticulture took notice. The authorities have now dug a canal for his garden.

‘Egg of Sun’ mango

Pragyan’s Miyazaki mangoes, which are typically harvested between April and August, are just now starting to appear on store shelves. Even though it was not from Tripura, the fruit appeared in the seventh iteration of the three-day mango festival in Siliguri this year. Miyazaki mangoes, also known as “egg of the sun” mangoes, are native to the city of Miyazaki, Kyushu province, Japan. They are known for their vivid colors and exquisite egg-like shape. Its development began in the 1980s, when a team of regional farmers and experts began experimenting with methods of cultivating the ideal mango plant.

Several other gardeners in the state have attempted to replicate Pragyan’s feat with Miyazaki mangoes, but almost none of them have been successful in producing a crop comparable to his.