The ‘Mango Mela’ – the much-awaited annual event to provide a wide range of carbide-free mangoes to consumers – began on the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway in Ramanagaram on Thursday. The five-day event also aims to help consumers to enhance their knowledge about the king of fruits.
Captain K. Rajendra, Ramanagaram Deputy Commissioner; M.P. Mullai Muhilan, CEO, Ramanagaram ZP, and other officers inaugurated the mela near the folk museum Janapada Loka. The officials emphasised the need for customers buying chemical-free fruits. As many as 15 stalls have been established at the mela to help growers sell their produce without the help of middlemen. Alphonso, Badami, Raspuri, Mallika, Malagoa, Thothapuri, Sindhura, Neelam, Amrapali, Kesar and other varieties of fruits are available. A similar mela will commence in Mandya from Friday and go on till May 29. The Horticulture Department has been initiating measures for the success of the mela, which will have 18 stalls near the residence of the Deputy Commissioner. The department has planned to display nearly 100 varieties of mangoes in Mandya.
15,000 growers
Ramanagaram and Mandya are among a few districts in the State where mangoes are grown widely.
There are over 9,000 growers in Ramanagaram who produce nearly 2,000 metric tonnes of varieties of produce from 23,090 hectares. The number of mango growers in Mandya district is 6,000.
They produce and sell at least 1,500 metric tonnes of fruits from 6,500 hectares, according to the officials at the Department of Horticulture.
The department, in association with the Karnataka State Mango Marketing and Development Board, the Horticultural Producer’s Co-operative Marketing and Processing Society Limited (HOPCOMS), and district administrations, hold melas every year to offer varieties of mouth-watering fruits to customers directly from the farmers.
