Despite the lockdown, rural women in Lucknow, UP process mango pulp into various products

The Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture, which trained these women in extraction and processing of mango pulp, is helping selling their products, and link them to traders via mobile apps.

Gaon Connection
| Updated: July 6th, 2020

Processed products of Dussehri mango are not easily available in the market. A women led self-help group — Swavalamban — is trying to fill this gap by extracting and preserving Dussehri pulp in a scientific manner.

It isn’t without a reason that mango is known as the king of the fruits. This fruit, with over 1,000 varieties, is grown in different states of India, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. Some of its common varieties include dussehri, langda, chowsa, fazli, Bombay green, alphonso, totapari, gulab hhas, banganapalli, kesar, etc. There are some new varieties too like Mallika, Amrapalli, Ratna, Arka Arun, Arka Puneet, Arka Anmol and Dussheri-51.

Uttar Pradesh ranks first in mango production in the country with a production share of 23.47 per cent. In 13 districts of the state, 45 lakh tonnes of mango is produced every year, of which seven lakh tonnes is produced at Malihabad in Lucknow district alone. Malihabad predominantly cultivates Dussehri variety of mango.

However, due to non-availability of processing industry in the state, processed products of Dussehri mango are not easily available in the market.

These women are reaping profits by churning out a diverse array of mango products.

A women led self-help group — Swavalamban — is trying to fill this gap by extracting and preserving Dussehri pulp in a scientific manner. Earlier these women would only make khatai (souring agent) from mango, which they used to sell to the middle agents at a low price. Today, these women are reaping profits by churning out a diverse array of mango products like amchur (dry mango powder), pickles and panna (a refreshing drink made from mango pulp).

Mohammad Nagar Talukadari is a small village in Malihabad nagar panchayat in Lucknow district. Twenty women of this village underwent two years training on value addition to mango fruit with Lucknow-based Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture. Together they have formed a self-help group, Swavalamban, and are successfully processing mangoes into amchur, panna and mango pickle, also extracting the mango pulp for preserving it. They are realising the slogan of ‘vocal for local’.

It was Pawan Gurjar of the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture who imparted training to these rural women to extract mango pulp. After undergoing the training, Amarauli’s Monica Singh collected the Dussehri pulp and preserved it for a year. She made various products from the pulp and got them tasted widely. Brimming with confidence, and encouraged due to the positive response, she is resolved to make Dussehri pulp preservation her livelihood.

These women used to make mango pickle and sell those at a low price to the middle agents. But now, they are making many products like amchur and panna

Meanwhile, the Agri-Business Incubation Centre of the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture has come forward to help sell the products developed by the self-help group by packaging and branding them in the market.

“Earlier these women used to make khatai from the small-sized mangoes that used to drop on the group. They were compelled to sell to the middle agents at a low price. But now, equipped with training, and organised as self-help groups, they have transformed into entrepreneurs,” Shailendra Rajan, director of the central institute told Gaon Connection.

He informed that in Malihabad, mango is cultivated upon 28,000 hectares area, but the value addition of mangoes is very low. “For this purpose, groups of mango farmers can be developed into cottage industries in mango processing,” he added.

The Agri-Business Incubation Centre has come forward to help sell the products developed by the self-help group.

The COVID-19 lockdown threw up new challenges for these women.”Due to the lockdown, khatai making process by using raw fallen mangoes had stopped in the villages. But, by observing physical distancing and other precautions, members of Swavalamban continued to make value added products,” said Rajan.

These women knew if the mango season gets over, they will have to wait for a year to make mango products. But because of the lockdown, traders could not come to buy their products. In this situation, the use of mobile apps created by the central institute will be helpful for linking entrepreneurs to the market.

The Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture is employing digital platforms for marketing of mango-based products produced by the self-help groups. “In association with young entrepreneurs, we have developed apps like Mango Baba, Bagwan Mitr, and Subtropical that are providing market access to farmers’ products,” Manish Mishra, chief scientist with the institute told Gaon Connection, “In the coming time, mango farmers will prove to be a vital link to self-reliant India,” he added.