Yield of Noor Jahan mango variety likely to be down this year

Indore: The yield of rare variety of mango called Noor Jahan, cultivated only in Alirajpur district in Madhya Pradesh, is likely to remain low this season due to unfavourable weather conditions.

The variety, originally belonging to Afghanistan, is now cultivated in Katthiwada region in Alirajpur district, around 250 kms from here.

"In view of the extreme cold weather that prevailed in the winter season in November-December and the severe heat this summer, only 10 per cent of the Noor Jahan trees have flowered," Shivraj Singh Jadhav, an orchid owner, told PTI today.

The Noor Jahan variety produces fruits towards the end of May. On an average, one mango weighs over four kg and is nearly one-foot long.

This variety of mango has won many acclaims, including the national award at Indore Mango Festival in 1999. The Katthiwada region reprotedly has two mango farms with three trees and nearly 70 mangoes grows on a single tree.

Each mango fetches around Rs 300.

The tree of this particular variety measuring 10 to 12 feet grows in sandy soil and requires cool climate, the report added.

Jadhav said his father Thakur P Singh had brought a sapling of Noor Jahan variety from Valsad in Gujarat to Katthiwada in 1968.