Mumbai (The Hindu): The season’s first set of Alphonso mangoes, which reached the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) in Navi Mumbai months before the mango season usually starts, was sold for nearly Rs 3,000 a dozen on Monday.

APMC trader Dinkar Mahabale had received nine dozen mangoes from Uday Narvankar, a farmer from Harne village in Ratnagiri. “There were two boxes, one with four dozen and the other with five dozen mangoes. The four-dozen box sold for Rs 11,000, while the five-dozen one sold for Rs 9,000. The mangoes in the first box were bigger, and hence their price was higher. A trader based in Crawford Market bought the fruit,” Mr. Mahabale said.

According to Mr. Narvankar, the early yield was a result of climate change. “This year, it rained relatively less, and hence there was no hindrance to the process of flowers growing into fruits. This is the second time my trees have given such an early yield. In 2014, too, I had supplied mangoes in October,” he said. The farmer said he had done nothing special to his trees, except letting them grow naturally. “I did not even use any insecticide. My father started cultivating mangoes in 1982, and we have been doing it since.”

Usually, the mango season starts by February-end. “Though the first set came now, the next will come only by February like usual. It was only a limited stock that hit the market,” Mr. Mahabale said.