A tribal farmer from Odisha’s Malkangiri district has drawn widespread attention these days after successfully cultivating the world-famous Miyazaki mango, considered one of the most expensive mango varieties globally, sources said on Thursday.

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While the rare foreign fruit has brought pride and excitement to the tribal region, it has also become a source of anxiety for the farmer, who now spends sleepless nights guarding the valuable crop.

The rare red-colored Miyazaki mangoes have grown in the orchard of Deba Madkami, a resident of Tamasa village in Malkangiri district. Known for their attractive appearance, rich taste, and premium quality, Miyazaki mangoes are highly sought after in the international markets.

Reports suggest the fruit can fetch between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh per kilogram overseas. Each mango weighs over one kilogram, making the harvest even more valuable.

However, despite cultivating such an expensive fruit, the farmer is worried about how and where to sell it locally. Deba has fenced the tree with bamboo barriers and even sleeps near the orchard at night to protect the mangoes from possible theft. The fear of losing the precious fruits has overshadowed the happiness of growing them successfully.

According to locals, four years ago, a person named Sarba Kumar Bisoyi had provided the Miyazaki mango sapling to Deba. After learning about its high market value, the farmer carefully nurtured the plant. Over the years, the sapling grew into a fruit-bearing tree, now loaded with costly mangoes.

Though the mangoes are ripe and ready for sale, there is no proper market facility or buyer in the region willing to purchase such premium fruits. Deba says he would feel relieved if the mangoes were sold, but finding customers for such an expensive variety in a remote tribal area remains a major challenge.

The unique cultivation of Miyazaki mangoes in a tribal belt has now become a topic of discussion across the region. Locals believe that if the State government or Horticulture Department creates proper marketing support and export opportunities, many farmers in the area could take up cultivation of the premium fruit and earn substantial profits in the future.

“Sarba Kumar Bisoyi had given me a sapling of this mango variety. He had then told me that it was the costly Miyazaki species of the fruit. I had grown the mango variety around four years ago. Now it has borne fruit. I am worried about how to sell and where to sell the produce. The price of Miyazaki mangoes in international markets is between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh per kilogram. I am in tension these days,” the tribal farmer stated to OTV.