Head to Lalbagh to see an array of horticultural produce

Three-day expo showcases crops with GI tag and those traditionally grown

BENGALURU - KARNATAKA - 23/12/2017 : Visitors at an exhibition and sale of Traditional Horticultural Crops Mela aims at promoting regionally grown vegetables and fruits as part of its Geographical Indication programme, at Lalbagh, by the Horticultural Producers’ Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society Ltd. (HOPCOMS), for the first time, in Bengaluru on December 23, 2017. The three-day mela displaying and selling of special variety of fruits and vegetable, such as ‘Nanjangud Rasabale’ (banana), Devanahalli Chakota (pamelo), ‘Kodagu orange’, Bengluru Blue grapes, ‘Mattugula Badane (brijal)’, ‘Bengaluru Rose onion’, betel leaves of Mysuru, procured from different parts of the State, in over 20 stalls near the Glass House, at discounted prices. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Ever heard of a flying saucer-shaped chilli or a cow face-shaped brinjal? Find them, and many more, at the three-day horticultural crops exhibition inaugurated at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in the city on Saturday.

Organised by HOPCOMS along with the Department of Horticulture, the event will go in till December 25.

Visitors on Saturday were treated to crops with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and those traditionally grown in various parts of the State yet unknown to many. Of the 12 GI crops in the State, nine are on display at the event.

Apart from the flying saucer-shaped chilli (grown in south Karnataka) and Gomuka Badhane (cow face-shaped brinjal grown in Tumakuru and Chamarajanagar districts), Paarampalli brinjal, Bunchel sponge gourd, Devanahalli chakkota, Kamalapura Red banana, Bangalore Rose onion, Totapuri mango, Bangalore Blue grapes, Janagere jackfruit, Nanjangud banana, Coorg orange, and Mysuru and Udupi jasmine welcomed the visitors. HOPCOMS Managing Director M. Vishwanath said, “The exhibition is to provide a platform for a variety of fruits and vegetables at one place and make people aware of the speciality of these crops.”

Prabash Chandra Ray, Commissioner, Horticulture, added that the exhibition was aimed mainly at marketing GI crops that can grow only in specific places under specific weather conditions and have some special characteristics.

“There are many GI crops registered in the State that are grown by farmers. Owing to lack of efficient marketing, farmers do not get proper returns. Therefore, the Department of Horticulture has joined hands with HOPCOMS to support farmers in production and in marketing,” he said.

Prakash Gowda, a farmer at the exhibition, said, “These crops have a lot of medicinal values and do not require any kind of chemicals to grow. Very few people know about them and we do not want these crops to die. The exhibition in Lalbagh is a good opportunity to make the consumers know the value of these crops and increase the demand which in turn will be a boon to many farmers.”