Mango wars: Battling over brand Alphonso -

Published on: Dec 07, 2025 09:39 pm IST

Every region in India swears by the superiority of its mango so much that the fondness is an article of faith.

Mango, it is said, is not a mere fruit but a culture. Which is why mango-growing regions are possessive about the varieties they grow and insist that theirs are the best. It is then no surprise that a war is brewing over the Alphonso (also called Hapus) between mango-growers in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Alphonso is India’s largest exported variety of mangoes, and the best fruit is claimed to be harvested from orchards in Devgad and Ratnagiri in the Konkan region in Maharashtra. The Devgad mango growers own the Alphonso GI (geographical indication) tag: They are so possessive about their “brand” that they have objected to the growers in Valsad, Gujarat, seeking a GI tag for their fruit. Valsad growers have made their claim on the basis that the region is geographically contiguous with the Konkan.

In 2023-24, India exported over 30,000 metric tonnes of mangoes worth $60 million, much of it Alphonso. (HT Archive)

Mango aesthetes in other parts of India will understand the sentiment of the Konkan farmers, but could well be amused by their claims about the superiority of their fruit. Every region swears by the superiority of its mango so much that the fondness is an article of faith. Mango lovers in northern and eastern India will argue that nothing can beat the Langda. And southern India may insist that Malgova, Neelam, and Banganapalle (Andhra Pradesh has a GI tag for this variety) are the best in the world. Similarly, there will be Kesar or Chandrakaran or Himsagar faithfuls. Each variety carries its own weight of stories, memories, and myths.

What matters, however, is the market, where Alphonso/Hapus reigns, especially when it comes to exports. Uttar Pradesh produces a quarter of India’s mangoes, but only a small part of which leaves India: In 2023-24, India exported over 30,000 metric tonnes of mangoes worth $60 million, much of it Alphonso. India has the largest acreage under mango cultivation, but yields are low when compared to top exporters such as Mexico and Brazil. In the battles over taste and tag, this larger economic picture must be kept in mind.