Team Herald
MARGAO: Thomas Antonio da Costa from Novangully, Varca is running from pillar to post to get the only surviving mango tree in Salcete recognised as a unique and threatened species of mango.
The tree has been growing in his ancestral property since the time his mother was a child. The mango variety called St Thomas Mango is unique as it oozes sap continuously, even after plucking and washing and this increases its shelf life. Though it looks like the Malcurad variety, it is bigger in size, more aromatic and has a unique flavour.
The St Thomas Mango yields two times and its fruits are available even in June. Each fruit is around 400 to 500 gms in weight. When the fruit ripens on the tree, it takes on a bright red hue while those that ripen after being plucked have the yellowish green colour.
When the mango is cut, its aroma just spreads around and it has a lot of pulp as the seed is quite flat and long. Besides, there is less fibre in the pulp as can be found in Musrado variety.
While earlier the tree used to give only around a dozen mangoes, in the last eight years it has been producing abundantly and Thomas has recently harvested 200 mangoes. While the mango is an excellent table fruit, it can also be used to prepare pickles or jams and syrups.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has undertaken a study of this mango and its preliminary report indicates that it is a different variety of mango that is unique. ICAR has prepared grafts of the mango and is waiting for the grafts to yield, to continue the study before giving its final report.
Meanwhile Thomas who is an avid historian loving ancient things and runs a museum in Varca has also started preparing grafts of St Thomas mango that he sells to only avid mango lovers who are confident will take care of the plant.
Thomas is a man in a hurry to promote and propagate this variety of mango so that many others grow it and get to taste this deliciously fascinating mango.
