The most awaited 20-day mango and jack fruit mela will be held from May 5 at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.
It is jointly organised by the Horticulture Department and the Karnataka State Mango Development Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL).
L Gopalakrishna, chairman, KSMDMCL said that the aim of the mela is to ensure that people get carbide-free, naturally ripened mangoes. “We also want to ensure that there is a direct link between farmers and consumers. This also ensures that farmers and consumers sell and buy fruits at a reasonable price,” he said.
Arrangements have been made to exhibit 30 to 40 varieties of mangoes and 10 to 12 varieties of jackfruits. The mela will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. There will be 90 stalls allotted to mango growers and 15 to jackfruit sellers. Fruits will be sold in cartons and biodegradable bags as plastic has been strictly banned inside Lalbagh. Stalls in the mela will be open between 8 am and 7 pm on all days.
“We received applications from many farmers to put up stalls at the mela. But we have selected farmers after inspecting their fields; those who have undergone training from the Corporation and those who are registered with Apeda. During the 2016 mela, around 1,030 tonnes of mangoes worth Rs 6.30 crore were sold. This year the Corporation is planning to ensure better sales,” Gopalakrishna said.
DH News Service