In South Asia, mango has been designated as the "national fruit" by India and Pakistan, and Bangladesh has designated the mango tree as the national tree. India is the origin of Buddhism, and mango is also regarded as a sacred fruit by Buddhist believers in South Asia, and it occupies the first place among the gifts offered to Buddha.
Indian mangoes are extremely diverse, with large ones beating coconuts and small ones like walnuts. Bright red like agate, green like jade, orange and yellow race crystal, can be described as colorful.
India: Mango production capacity is a huge one
As the first country in the world to cultivate and grow mangoes, India's mango production is amazing, accounting for more than 40% of the world's mango. Of India's 35 state (provincial) administrative divisions, 27 produce mangoes. Among them, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra account for more than 7% of India's total mango production.
Data show that India's mango planting area remains above 15 million mu all year round, and West Bengal, located in the Ganges Delta of India, is India's largest mango producer. The climate and sunshine are ideal for growing mangoes, which produce up to 4 million tonnes a year, all of which are sold all over India for local consumption.
Uttar Pradesh is also one of the largest mango growing states in India, harvesting at least 2 million tonnes of mangoes every year.
Of the nearly 1,600 known varieties of mango in the world, the vast majority can be found in India, while only a few dozen are grown in other countries. Among India's mangoes, one of the most famous is Alfonso mango, which is called the "king of mangoes" by Indians, and this kind of mango is sold for nearly 100 rupees even in India, and it is also a high-end product of mango in overseas markets, and the biggest feature is that it is a little too sweet.
Data shows that in 2023, India's mango production will exceed 11 million tons, continuing to lead the world. Although India has a large total production of mangoes and many varieties, there is still a big gap between India and foreign competitors in terms of variety breeding.
June and July are the time when India's mangoes are on the market in large quantities, but India's annual export of mangoes accounts for less than 2% of its production. This is mainly due to the lack of high-quality mangoes in India, coupled with the poor condition of its domestic roads, which are not suitable for long-distance transportation. In addition, Indians are generally vegetarian, the price of mango is very cheap, only two or three yuan per kilogram, Indians often take it as a staple food to eat, make sugar, make flying cakes, juice, dry dried meat, etc., in the diet to the extreme.
China: The world's second largest mango production capacity
Mango also has a history of more than 1,300 years in the mainland, and it has really developed since the 90s of the last century. From the perspective of climatic conditions, the cultivation of mangoes in mainland China is mainly distributed in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Fujian, Sichuan and other places. Among them, Yunnan and Guangxi are the two provinces with the largest mango cultivation and production in mainland China, often ranking first alternately.
The main mango producing areas in Guangxi are concentrated in Baise, Qinzhou, Nanning, Yulin and other places, among which the cultivation of Youjiang River Valley in Baise is the most concentrated. Together with Xishuangbanna and Hainan Island, this place is known as the only "natural greenhouse agricultural area" in China. The mango grown in Baise has a shiny and fresh skin, delicate and thick flesh, and a sweet and mellow taste.
Today, Baise's mango planting ranks first among prefecture-level cities in the country, with a planting area of nearly 1.4 million mu, an annual output of more than 1.2 million tons, and a total value of nearly 10 billion yuan, and the entire industrial chain has driven nearly 450,000 people to work, contributing to rural revitalization.
Yunnan is the longest-serving mango producing area in mainland China, with mangoes on the market from mid-May to early December. The mango planting area of the province exceeds 1.7 million mu, with an annual output of more than 1.3 million tons, mainly concentrated in the Nujiang River Basin, the Red River Basin, the Lancang River Basin and the Jinsha River Basin.
Sichuan Panzhihua is the largest production area of late-maturing mangoes in the mainland, with a planting area of about 1.03 million mu and an output of about 540,000 tons, and the industrial scale has entered the top three in the country.
Over the past 20 years, the mango cultivation industry in mainland China has developed rapidly. In 2004, the national mango cultivation area was 2 million mu, and the annual output was only 800,000 tons. Today, with a planting area of more than 5.6 million mu and an annual output of 4 million tons, it has become the world's second largest mango producer after India.
Compared with India, the total output of mangoes in the mainland is not as good as that of the other party, mainly because mangoes are not the main force of fruit consumption in China, watermelons and grapes in summer; Apples and pears in autumn and citrus in winter are the five major consumption fruits in the mainland!