Carbide ripen mangoes in market (Photos)

Nepal Views

Kathmandu: Mangoes have started to appear in the market even before the beginning of the season.

Although Nepali mangoes naturally ripen only after the month of Asar (mid-June to mid-July), a large number of mangoes have already hit the Nepali market.

And the chemically ripened mangoes, using Calcium Carbide (CaC2), have already reached the houses from wholesalers to retailers. Carbide makes mangoes inedible to consume.

Therefore, experts advise caution when buying mangoes from the market. Health experts recommend consuming only naturally ripened fruits during the season.

Carbide is a carcinogenic substance and may result in serious health issues. Consuming fruits ripened with carbide can cause serious health problems, including neurological disorders, hypoxia, memory loss, ulcers, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, to severe impacts on the lungs, heart, and kidneys.

It has been found that farmers are selling mangoes to traders, citing good prices. Experts say such mangoes are neither tasty nor nutritious.

According to the National Fruit Development Center, the natural time for the ripening of mangoes has not arrived yet. These mangoes usually reach the market only after the beginnings of Asar. However, they have already been widely sold in the market.

Just this week, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City destroyed 2,276 kilograms of mangoes that had been treated with chemicals. However, effective monitoring has not been carried out in Kathmandu.

This week, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City conducted pesticide testing at the Kalimati Fruit and Vegetable Market. Along with vegetables, litchis were also tested for pesticide residues. No pesticide was found in the litchis.

(Glimpses of carbide ripe mangoes)