How much would you pay to lay your hands on your favourite mango? Would you consider shelling out Rs 31,000 for a crate of mangoes? Yes, that was the price paid for a crate of mangoes at a market in Pune during an auction. A trader reacted by claiming that it was the “most expensive” purchase in 50 years. On February 11, the first box of the famous Hapus mango reached Pune’s APMC market from Devgad in Maharashtra. An auction was held to sell this crate of mangoes, with bids starting at Rs 5,000 and going up to Rs 31,000.

According to Yuvraj Kachi, a trader, the first crate of mangoes that reached the market was bid for Rs 18,000. The second crate went for Rs 21,000, and the third and fourth were sold for Rs 22,500 each. Kachi said that the fifth crate that was auctioned at the market went for Rs 31,000. It is the highest bid in the Pune market in the last 50 years, Kachi was reported as saying by news agency ANI.

Kachi said that these were the initial mangoes of the season, and added that they were “auctioned as a ritual because it decides the fate of the trade for the next two months”.

Kachi also added that business was shut for two years due to COVID-19. Now, that things are return to normal, the traders want to resume at the earliest.

Also Read: This Is The World’s Most Expensive Mango Variety Sold For Rs. 2.7 Lakh

Pune | A mango crate sold for Rs 31,000 in an auction, “most expensive buy in 50 years,” claimed trader Yuvraj Kachi. He added, “Business was shut for 2 years in COVID. Now things are normalizing, so we want to resume at the earliest, which is why we bought mangoes at this rate.” pic.twitter.com/FaD4bMTxks— ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2022

A YouTube video shared by the news agency showed a garland of flowers on the mango crates.

This isn’t the first time mangoes have has been purchased for such a high price. During the pandemic last year, a girl who missed out on lessons due to the lack of access to online education was forced to sell mangoes in order to buy a smartphone so she could attend online classes. A businessman from Mumbai, who had heard of her ordeal, rushed to her aid. Seeing the determination of the girl — 11-year-old Tulsi Kumari from Jamshedpur — the businessman Ameya Hete purchased 12 mangoes from her for Rs 10,000 each and deposited Rs 1,20,000 to the girl’s father’s account, using which her parents bought her a smartphone.