Probably the most awaited season annually in a number of homes could be the mango season and every time I see the primary mango available in the market, my face invariably breaks into an enormous smile.
It’s the king of fruits for a motive, isn’t it? Only a few moments evaluate to the happiness one experiences whereas relishing a juicy mango, getting our arms and faces yellow within the course of.
For me, and many individuals from Maharashtra, the perfect mango is the Hapus or the Alphonso.
Grown majorly within the Konkan area, totally different varieties exist relying on the district, dimension and the flavour of the mango. Nevertheless, mango purists declare to have the ability to determine if it’s an precise Hapus mango simply by touching or smelling it.
I personally have been disenchanted many instances to seek out out that the mango which I paid a premium for, was not likely an Alphonso.
Whereas the market is stuffed with mangoes proper from February and March with many claiming to be promoting the Ratnagiri or Devgad Hapus, how does a buyer differentiate? How will we be certain that the mango that we’re paying an arm and leg for is really what it claims to be?
Regardless of Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad district receiving the GI (Geographical Indication) tag in 2018, the rampant adulteration in mangoes is affecting the hardworking farmers in addition to the purchasers.
Even amongst these mangoes, the Devgad selection sells for a premium, starting from Rs 1,000 to even a whopping Rs 3,500 per dozen!
Farmers from Devgad, which falls in Sindhudurg district, first tried QR codes, bar codes and different strategies to make sure authenticity. When middlemen discovered a solution to tamper with these too, the Devgad Taluka Mango Grower’s Co-operative Society Restricted discovered a singular solution to shield their mangoes.
This patented expertise includes a tamper-proof sticker which can’t be replicated and ensures full transparency and traceability. Right here’s what it’s and the way it works.
What makes the Devgad Hapus distinctive
Shaped in 1987, the Devgad Taluka Mango Grower’s Co-operative Society has over 900 farmers, whereas your entire taluka has 2,000 farmers. “It was initially shaped to deliver small farmers collectively and assist them take their produce to the market instantly,” explains Omkar Sapre, the board member and advisor of the society.
“We began promoting on-line, particularly publish COVID-19, which allowed us to achieve clients instantly. Once you go to markets in Mumbai, you see many individuals promoting the Devgad selection. Both they combine cheaper varieties with the unique ones or simply add stickers stating that it’s from Devgad. To fight this, we utilized for a GI tag, which we acquired in 2018,” Omkar shares with The Higher India.
A GI tag is supposed to guard the mental property of the producer, on this case, the farmer, and the homeland, Devgad. It’s moreover meant to profit, implement high quality and forestall adulteration.
“The decrease high quality mangoes which had been being bought below the identify of Devgad Hapus affected the Devgad model. We needed to set up the supply and high quality. We tried barcode printing, edible ink, magnetic patterns and several other different strategies. They had been all getting replicated by fakes,” he provides.
What one wants to know is that the Devgad mango has a singular flavour as a result of topography of the area.
“Devgad has laborious laterite rocks, which supplies the fruits a splendid aroma. The excessive altitude offers it its distinctive style,” explains Omkar.
Santosh Patkar, a farmer, states that what differentiates the Devgad selection from those present in Ratnagiri and different areas is its style, color, skinny pores and skin, and minimal fibre proportion. Talking in regards to the identification disaster, he shares that individuals are promoting faux Devgad mangoes even after their manufacturing is over for the 12 months.
“Persons are promoting mangoes from Karnataka and calling it Devgad Hapus. Retailers and on-line shops are duping individuals whereas charging a bomb. As a result of this, our fee and worth can also be coming down,” he says.
The way it works
As talked about earlier, the issue with QR codes or bar codes is that it may be copied. Prashant Yadav, an engineer and founding father of Solar Options, developed the patented expertise.
Merely put, the distinctive code of every product is split into two components, one above the seal and one under it. To entry your entire code, one must tear the sticker, successfully holding away counterfeits.
“My patent is for hiding the identification of the distinctive code. We divide every code into two components, with one half hidden under the sticker. There are two digits under the sticker. Prospects can take a photograph of the label and ship it the quantity talked about. You may then tear off the sticker and ship the remaining two digits,” explains Prashant.
The software program analyses the picture and confirms by way of the database whether or not the product is one in every of theirs or not. The complete code is matched with the extra two digits despatched as a caption on WhatsApp.
Prashant acquired the patent in 2021 for the tamper preventive seal. It’s single use and may be authenticated by clients by way of WhatsApp.
“This may assist the model fairness of the Devgad Hapus,” provides Omkar. “This may even assist the following era proceed farming as they’ll reap the fruits of their labour.”
“We hope that folks will begin recognising the true Devgad Hapus and contemplate the work that goes behind it. Our livelihoods are depending on it,” shares Santosh.
The subsequent time you purchase Devgad Alphonso, make sure to examine the code!
You may order these mangoes from the cooperative right here.
Edited by Padmashree Pande, Photographs Courtesy Omkar Sapre
