Sweet talk: Abazai’s mangoes offer heavenly treat

Fruit from region preferred over varieties from Sindh

SHABQADAR: When asked to describe heaven, most people will dredge up a picturesque view of high mountains and magical green meadows. However, for the residents of Abazai village in Tangi, Charsadda, a bucketful of mangoes and the company of friends to share them with is the archetypal picture of paradise.

Mango orchards can be found on both banks of Swat River that flows through the region. The orchards stretch for around two kilometres and even extend into the neighbouring village.

Travellers who travel on a long stretch of road near the river often stop by and buy mangoes from hawkers before continuing their journey. Many locals make their way to the river banks on the weekend, where families and groups of friends are seen huddling together around crates of fruit.

Mangoes grown in Abazai can be likened to those grown in Sindh. People are often seen buying several crates of the fruit as presents for their loved ones.

The most common variety found in the region are Anwar Rathol and Chaunsa. Their taste and flavour varies from those fruits found in Sindh. The mangoes from Abazai are sweeter. People like the mangoes better because they are sold fresh from the farm every day while the varieties from Sindh take days to reach K-P.

Farmanullah Khan, a fruit seller, told The Express Tribune, “The history of these mangoes dates back to several centuries. The orchards have existed for ages, but in the past the mangoes had to be sent to markets in Charsadda and Peshawar to be sold. The area was undiscovered.”

He said farm owners started presenting these mangoes as gifts to their friends and politicians. With the passage of time, the mangoes have now become so famous that people from all over the country visit the area to buy them.

“We don’t have to take these mangoes to the city anymore,” Farmanullah says. “We just set up stalls on the road and people purchase them.”

Shabqadar tehsil naib nazim Ghaffarullah Sheikh told The Express Tribune he visits the river regularly with his friends and thoroughly enjoys eating the mangoes.

Many of the farms in the area were affected by floods in 2010. The region’s infrastructure was destroyed and life has been hard for the people of the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2016.