For mango-growers in villages in Unnao and its adjoining districts, the name “Malihabadi” is the key to prosperity. It helps them sell mangoes to traders at one of the biggest mango mandis in Farhadpur village of Unnao. And it helps traders earn handsome amounts from abroad.

But mango lovers, who buy “Malihabadi” mangoes at high prices, will be shocked to learn that the fruit they relish are not Malihabadi.

Over the past few years, many mango farms in Malihabad have been converted into nurseries to develop good varieties of mangoes.

Production, consequently, has dropped. But because the better varieties of plants from the Malihabad nurseries are being bought by farmers from various parts of the state, the stock elsewhere is improving.

The mango-growers of Unnao, Rae Bareli, Hardoi, Kanpur and other districts, consequently, are taking the opportunity to sell their crop as “Malihabadi” at the mandi.

And the prices explain why: Ram Prasad, owner of a mango grove in Unnao’s Bara village, told The Indian Express that the top quality mango sells at Rs 850-900 per quintal.

A farmer from Nav Sarai said: “The name Malihabad sells mangoes. If we call it Unnao mango, nobody will buy.”

Traders even use the Malihabad tag to export the fruits to Singapore, Japan and other countries.

Mohammed Salim, a fruit trader from Delhi, admitted that it was difficult to distinguish between Malihabadi mangoes and the mangoes sold in Unnao market. So the traders, on their part, pass the Malihabad tag along.

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