Madhya Pradesh Farmer Grows Mangoes Worth ₹ 2.7 lakh per kg, Employs 14 Security Dogs

India has over 1000 varieties of mangoes, including Alphonso, Totapuri, Sindoori, Chausa, Safeda, Kesar, Langda.

But there is also a variety of Japanese mango grown in India - and the price will blow your mind.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, a plantation owner from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, plants Miyazaki mangoes from Japan that sell for Rs 2.7 lakh (approx. $2,300) per kilo in the international market.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, a plantation owner from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, plants Miyazaki mangoes from Japan that sell for Rs 2.7 lakh (approx. $2,300) per kilo in the international market.

In total, he grows 24 varieties of mangoes, including eight foreign strains from Nepal, China and America.

Sputnik spoke to him to hear how he planted so many varieties of mangoes and how he takes care of them.

Precious and Delicious

Parihar takes care of the planted mangoes like his own children. To protect these prized possessions, he has deployed 14 dogs and watchmen to monitor the farm with hi-tech security cameras.

"I was going to Chennai to buy hybrid coconut saplings and my ticket which got upgraded from second class to first. A gentleman was traveling in the same compartment, he casually offered that he had some [foreign mangoes]. Mangoes are very exclusive," said plantation owner Parihar.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, a plantation owner from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, plants Miyazaki mangoes from Japan that sell for Rs 2.7 lakh (approx. $2,300) per kilo in the international market.

"I had money in my pocket at that time, so I bought them. We never thought that these are very exclusive mangoes, so [we said] let's focus on them separately. These are planted in the garden like other mangoes and when the fruits came, we were also surprised because they were very different in appearance, color and taste," he explained.

Extra Security

"As far as security is concerned, it is not only the cost of mangoes that is the reason. There are 24 varieties of mangoes planted in our garden, all of them are very good and in demand. So people come from far and wide to see these mangoes and if at that time the fruits of that mango tree are found to be completely stolen, then we feel very sad," Parihar told Sputnik.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, a plantation owner from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, plants Miyazaki mangoes from Japan that sell for Rs 2.7 lakh (approx. $2,300) per kilo in the international market.

"We also faced more thefts," he continued. Since then, we had to tighten security, install CCTV cameras, dogs. At present, we have 14 dogs, out of which ten are used for security and four are off guard [at any time]. Also a [male] single guard. There is a lot and the rest of us stay with the family," said Parihar.

"We have planted eight varieties from abroad, they are very successful, they are giving production. Apart from this, about seven to eight other varieties have been brought by exchange. We hope that these varieties will also produce as successfully as the other varieties are giving. Taste and appearance do affect the prices of foreign varieties to some extent, if they have a good taste they will fetch a slightly better rate," he continued.

Sankalp Singh Parihar, a plantation owner from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh state, plants Miyazaki mangoes from Japan that sell for Rs 2.7 lakh (approx. $2,300) per kilo in the international market.