Mocked for years, this UP farmer just sold 4 mangoes for ₹2.11 lakh—and the reason will surprise you

In Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, Miyazaki mangoes, counted among the world's most expensive varieties, have brought fresh attention to farmer Sandeep Chaudhary's work. A Surat-based trader, Praveen Gupta, has bought four Miyazaki mangoes weighing about one kilogram in total from Chaudhary for ₹2.11 lakh. The deal is being described as the first such sale in India at this price for the variety.

The sale has also drawn attention because Gupta bought the mangoes in his mother's name. Chaudhary said the deal was initially fixed at ₹3.5 lakh, but he reduced the price to ₹2.11 lakh after learning that the buyer wanted to dedicate the purchase to his mother. Of the total amount, ₹1.11 lakh has already been received online. The remaining ₹1 lakh will be paid at the time of delivery on 1 August.

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Chaudhary, who is from Tharoli village, said Gupta had wanted to buy the mangoes last year as well, but at that time, he had sent them to the Chief Minister. Speaking about the present deal, he said the four mangoes had been sold to Gupta of Surat for ₹2.11 lakh and added that the most notable part of the sale was that they were bought in the buyer's mother's name. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phrase, he said Gupta had acted in a similar spirit to 'Ek ped maa ke naam'. He said the two would meet in Gujarat, where the mangoes would be handed over.

Chaudhary said he began cultivating Miyazaki mangoes three years ago with the idea that farmers should move beyond traditional farming and also take up expensive and specialised crops to increase their income. He said many people had mocked him at first and said mangoes could not sell for lakhs, but his effort has now brought results. He added that he currently has around 40 Miyazaki mango trees and that this was the first time four of his mangoes had sold for ₹2.11 lakh.

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He also said 10 per cent of the earnings from the sale would be used to help poor people. Chaudhary said the success of the deal had left him very happy after three years of work.

Miyazaki mangoes are regarded as the world's most expensive mangoes because of their distinct red-purple colour, taste and nutritional qualities. Chaudhary said they contain higher levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants than ordinary mangoes. He appealed to other farmers to adopt organic and high-value crops alongside traditional farming.