STORY OF SHAMKANT TANGE
Shamkant Thange is receiving visitors from far away Sindhudurg since he successfully revived a once-popular mango variety in his two-acre orchard in Tikhol village in Ahmednagar Maharashtra.
“I hope to be able to offer it by early next year,” the 52-year-old tells prospective buyers, overwhelmed by hundreds of requests for mango saplings, locally known as “Tikhliya”.
Tikhol is a small village with over 2,000 residents in a valley surrounded by the Sahyadri range. A mere 3 kilometres from the National Highway 61, an earthen dam irrigates the village’s crops such as bajra, sweet pea, onion, tomato, sugarcane and beans as well as provide drinking water. Ralegan Siddhi is also located in the village, which is considered an example of environmental conservation.
HOW TIKLIYA MANGOES BECAME EXTINCT
Villagers claim that the Tikhliya mango trees have stood outside of the village since the British era, but stopped bearing fruit in the early 1990s. Initially, its name was attributed to its origin in Tikhol village, but in later years, some researchers think that the green dots (tikki in Marathi) on the fruit’s body gave it that name. The local mango variety known as gavran amba (raiwal or river mango) is found near water bodies, like rivers or ponds in Maharashtra. Tikhliya is also a variety of Raiwal.
It is said that Tikhol and its neighbouring villages have been devoted to the mango variety for generations. From the early to mid-1970s, the Tikhliya harvest was celebrated with bullock carts laden with ripe fruit and brass bands playing until the village’s border. In the early 1970s, this practice was discontinued. Our mangoes were loaded onto bullock carts and taken to the Nagar mandi (Ahmednagar is colloquially known as) 40 km away. The fruit was carried around in six bullock carts, recalled Sakhare Thange (85). He continued, “It took us approximately three hours to reach the mandi, and we sold a choudah (a pile of 14) for Rs 40.”
In 1984, a Tikhol farmer named Rangnath Ganpati Kabre won a cash prize of Rs 1,000 from the Ahmednagar Zilla Parishad for growing the Tikhliya variety. This explains why it is called ‘Nagar Cha Hapus’ (Hapus of Ahmednagar), analogous to Alphonso in Konkani.
But by the late 1990s, the tree had stopped bearing fruit, a condition called ‘senility’ in horticulture. Six years after the millennium began, it had withered.
HOW SHAMKANT REVIVES THE MANGO
Shamkant decided to preserve the fruit sometime in 2006, after enjoying its fruits with his family. Despite a couple of branches remaining, the tree had withered and died. After I brought home a couple of them, I grafted them and planted them on three gunthas of land (3,000 square feet) over the years,” the man, who has devoted 15 long years to the revival of Tikhliya, says.
Thange’s orchard has 200 mango trees on 2 acres.
Shamkant estimates that a 10-year-old tree produces between 3 and 5 tonnes of fruits per year.
The Thanges got 50 quintals from the oldest orchard in their land and sold them for Rs 150 a kilo.
As one of those who consider Tikhliya to be a hidden gem waiting to be rediscovered, Vasant Gharat (60), a resident of Panvel who trades in fish spawns, is one such person. On a recent trip to Tikhol for business, he discovered the mango and has since been asking for more of it. Despite being a variety of mango, its aroma lingers long after consumption. I purchased a couple of saplings for a farmer friend because I was so enchanted by it.”
Farmers grow mangoes in Tikhol, including Dasheri, Payeri, and Kesar, but the Thanges, besides growing other crops, have helped revive and propagate a local variety.
ATMA MANAGER STATEMENT
According to Devendra Jadhav, Block Technology Manager, ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) who has been working in the Parner taluka since 2016, “Tikhliya comes after all the other mango varieties have finished their three-month reign.”. It is highly sought after among the fruit’s devotees as it is harvest in mid-June.”
The mango crop is largely wiped out every year when a storm with high-speed winds and heavy rains falls. Tikhiliya is endowed with a unique characteristic, which the villagers notice. A thick stem protects the bunch of fruits from erratic weather conditions.
ATMA plans big things for Tikhliya. Jadhav says, “We will provide the Thanges all the assistance they need to set up a nursery and supply saplings for their tree. Our intention is to make Tikhliya synonymous with Maharashtra in order to better serve those who are interested in growing off-season mangoes.”
TIKHLIYA MANGO GOT GI STATUS
When plucked, the 250-300g fruit remains fresh for over a month. The Tikhliya is rounder in shape, firm-fleshed, fibre-free, and scented with a pleasing aroma. The yellow colour of the skin indicates that the fruit is ripe. However, it lacks the extreme sweetness of Alphonso. A number of unique features in ATMA have convinced its IPR cell to grant it GI (Geographic Index) status.
JOURNEY AHEAD
Besides membership in the National Database of Mangoes, the family also intends to submit it to the Department of Biotechnology, Indian Council of Agriculture Research and Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture for inclusion. According to Jadhav, if the Thanges achieve custodian status, they will become like hundreds of other farmers who conserve our horticultural heritage.