MARGAO: Come summer in Margao, Uday Naik Adpaikar is no aam aadmi – he runs a thriving mango wholesale business, supplying most retailers with the seasonal treat. Originally hailing from Adpai, his father moved to Davorlim a long time ago. When he was only five years old, Uday started helping his dad with his mango retail business, and admits he learned the trade under his father’s tutelage.
Uday’s father, Gurudas Adpaikar, originally had a shop near Pedakade, Margao. He started the mango retailing business during the Portuguese regime. Uday himself has been in the mango wholesale business for 45 years. He operates from the same location near Pedakade, but he said that about 25 years ago, the Margao Municipality cleared his makeshift shop while removing encroachments and vendors on that road. This was a big setback for him. So now, Uday sells mangoes by the roadside.
Uday buys his mangoes from farmers who lease mango plantations in Siolim, Madkai, Kundai, and Nerul. Earlier, he used to source mangoes from Loutolim.
“My day starts at 3.30 am, and by 4 am, my retail customers begin to line up to purchase mangoes. They come from Ponda, Margao, Panjim, Banastarim, Vasco, Sanvordem, etc. The retailers pick up the mangoes and sell them in their local markets. I wind up by 6 to 7 am; the business runs for around 3 hours a day,” Uday says.
“My son Harshadeep, who is 22 years old and pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering, helps me with the sale of mangoes and
then goes to attend his classes,” Uday discloses.
a the drastic fall of around 50% in mango production in Goa this year, Uday says his business was better this year, than in 2023. His work begins in December-January when he starts selling raw mangoes. Ripe mangoes are sold from February onwards, Uday adds.
“This year, the Mancurad mangoes started coming into the market in February, with the larger ones carrying a price tag of a whopping Rs 20,000 for 100 mangoes. By April, the prices of large mangoes dipped to Rs 12,000. In May, the prices of large Mancurad mangoes have further dipped to Rs 8,000 per 100 mangoes,” he says.
He sells Mancurad, Malgesh, Xayer, Mussorad, Fernandes, MangHilario, foot (other big mangoes), and ghontam (small mangoes). “By May-end, the Mancurad season will be over. Now we will have Xayer, Mussorad, and MangHilario,” Uday explains.
Quizzed about how he supports himself outside the mango season, Uday, who has two children, says he runs ‘Gurushanta Restaurant’ in his native Davorlim, Margao. His wife Roshan handles the restaurant when he is engaged with the mango business.
Asked whether his son will carry on with the mango wholesale business after him, Uday laughs and says he doesn’t know.
