Mango season has started; everybody often devours them and will be extensively available for purchase around the country. Recently, a farmer from Udupi, Karnataka, has made headlines for cultivating mangoes. Farmer Joseph Lobo resides in Shankarpur. Joseph Lobo has managed to cultivate a rare type of Japanese mango on the terrace of his house. The Miyazaki mango is the most expensive mango on the earth. Mangoes might cost as much as Rs 3 lakh per kilogram.
According to media reports, Miyazaki mango is sold in Japan at the rate of Rs 3 lakh per kg. Joseph Lobo said that he entered this business in 2023, but the weather did not cooperate. Due to adverse weather, not a single mango was produced in the first year. However, this year he got a good yield, by selling which he earned huge profits. Apart from mangoes, Lobo has cultivated many other rare fruits in his rooftop garden.
Their 1,200-square-foot terrace is filled with white Java plum, Brazilian cherry, rare Taiwanese orange, and the popular Shankarpura jasmine. He also sells these plants. Apart from this, Lobo’s terrace garden has a variety of plants, which include all-season mangoes, seven types of cherries, white violets, seedless lemons, and many types of vegetables including medicinal plants. Apart from this, he is also involved in beekeeping. He says that he has 200 types of plants growing on his terrace. He also has a Miyazaki mango tree among his plants.
Joseph said that the rains in January are not good for this mango. This harms the fruit of mango. Lobo says that he was inspired by the successful cultivation of mangoes in the Gulf countries and cultivated mangoes on his terrace. Joseph Lobo said that this fruit is purple when raw. In Japan, this fruit turns completely red when ripe. However, due to the amount of salt in water in coastal areas, its color may be different.
He is known as the first hydroponic farmer to cultivate jasmine using hydroponic technology in Karnataka. This soil-less method of farming, which involves growing plants in nutrient-rich water, has enabled him to produce high-quality jasmine even on his terrace.
