In a good news for mango lovers in Pune, the first mangoes of the season have arrived in Pune's Market Yard Fruit Market, much to the excitement of locals. Mangoes from the Konkan region made their way to the market, with the first box of high-quality mangoes fetching a whopping ₹31,000.

The box, containing five dozen Kesar mangoes, was sourced from farmer Saad Mulla of Devgad and brought to the market by trader and director Bapu Bhosale. The auction, which included the first mango box of the season, was attended by prominent figures, including senior BJP leader Baba Misal, and various traders.

Raosaheb Kunjir emerged as the successful bidder, purchasing the first box for ₹31,000. This marks the start of the mango season in Pune, with high hopes for a fruitful harvest in the coming weeks.

Punekars are quite fond of Mangoes from the Konkan and other regions of the state, particularly the Alphonso from Kokan. Mangoes are imported in large quantities to metropolitan marketplaces each year. However, one must use caution when purchasing magoes because counterfeit alphansos are also sold by con artists. The Pune Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) has established teams to inspect all incoming mangoes and take action against those found defrauding customers after numerous sellers were discovered selling phony Alphonso mangoes during the summer of 2024.

In the past couple of years, the Pune APMC officials have seized fake Alphonso mangoes from at least three traders in Market Yard found selling south Indian mangoes as ‘Alphonso mangoes from the Konkan belt (Devgad/Ratnagiri).’