From Farm-to-Fork: How Kokan Bhumi Pratisthan is all set to deliver naturally ripen mangoes to consumers door step

Mango lovers wait the entire year for the mango season to taste the first mango fruit of that year. Hapus or Alphonso mango is one of most sought after type of mango and it is important means of livelihood for the farmers of Konkan. However this year, the story is different with the whole world enveloped in the coronavirus pandemic during the April-May Mango season and the whole country under lockdown till May 03.
This year, mango enthusiasts are frantically searching for ways to find their favourite fruit and mango cultivators are looking for a way to sell their produce. To help the farmers find a market for hapus mangoes and for mango lovers to enjoy the fruit, Kokan Bhumi Pratisthan along with Government of Maharashtra, Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board and Agriculture Department are taking efforts to bring alphonso mango from farm to consumer’s doorstep.
By following the government rules of social distancing and usage of sanitizers, Kokan Bhumi Pratisthan has started transporting the alphonso mangoes from Konkan to certain parts of cities like Mumbai, Thane, Vasai and Pune Pimpri
Konkan Bhumi Pratisthan has launched their flagship brand of alphonso mango called ‘Global Konkan Alphonso’. The main concept of this initiative is to ensure that mango aficionado’s receive best quality alphonso mangoes, naturally ripened and GI-agged mangoes from the Konkan’s mango belt like Devgad, Rajapur, Vijayadurg, Pawas, Navare, Ganpatipule, Jakhadevi, Dapoli, Kelshi, Guhagar, Shrivardhan at affordable rates and help sustain lakh of mango farmers. With the help of the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB), mango cultivators and the Konkan Bhumi Pratishthan, ‘Global Kokan Alphonso’ is being made available directly from the mango farms to housing societies in all the major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Vasai, Pimpri and more.
Sanjay Yadavrao, Founder, Kokan Bhumi Pratistan and Global Kokan shared, “Due to the coronavirus pandemic, people are turning more towards organic fruits, vegetables and grains. Naturally ripened and GI accredited ‘Global Kokan Alphonso’ which are enriched with vitamins are much needed to boost our immunity. We started through social media adhering to government rules and now we have reached a level where the demand is very high and we are trying hard to fulfill the demand and help the farmers also in the process. We are planning to launch an app soon called ‘Alphonso Farmer’s Market’. Farmers from the Kokan belt are receptive of this move from Kokan Bhumi Pratisthan and it has provided a readymade market for their produce and ensuring they get value for their products.”
He further added, “The initiative is providing customers with fresh green mangoes naturally grown at their farms to the housing societies. We have delivered around 10,000 dozen mangoes in 2,000 boxes to 100 societies in various cities. The boxes are delivered in three variants 5 dozen, 4 dozen and 2 dozen. We are happy that Global Konkan and Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board are getting tremendous response from Alphonso Mango Consumers.”