Mango mela a big hit

 The annual mango and jack fruit mela, on Thursday, opened to an overwhelming response at Curzon Park, in the city. Over 10 varieties of mangoes and five varieties of jack fruits are on sale, during the mela that will conclude on May 24.

In all, 30 temporary stalls have been put up in front of the office of the Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture, which have been occupied by 26 mango growers and four jack fruit growers from Mysuru, Ramanagar, Chikkaballapur and other districts.

Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation that has organised the mela in association with the Horticulture department, aims to sell at least 150 tonnes of mangoes this year, according to Chairperson M Kamalakshi Rajanna.

To enable fruit lovers buy the fruits at affordable rates, the prices fixed are lower than the prices at Horticulture Produce Cooperative Marketing Society (Hopcoms) stalls. However, the prices differ everyday.

On Thursday, Badami was sold at Rs 90 per kg, while the boxed fruit was sold at Rs 100 per kg; followed by Rasapuri (Rs 50), Malgoba (Rs 80), Mallika (Rs 60), Sindhura (Rs 30), Thotapuri (Rs 25), Baganapalli (Rs 50), Dussehri (Rs 80) Kalaap Haad (Rs 60) and other varieties (Rs 40). Jackfruits — Chandra, Bangara, Kempu, Haladi and Rudrakshi Halasu — were offered at Rs 20 per kg.

For the benefit of the visitors, varieties of fruits were exhibited in a cart, at the main entrance of the stall area.

Speaking to media persons, Kamalakshi Rajanna said, the mela is organised with the sole intention of bridging the gap between the farmers and consumers.

“It will help address the middlemen menace. The thrust is on selling naturally ripened fruits, free from chemicals,” she said.

Reacting to media queries, Managing Director of the corporation K M Parashivamurthy said, to check complaints of artificial ripening of fruits, the corporation has written to both the local bodies and the Food and Civil Supplies department to take necessary action.