The Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) will be organizing a mango and jackfruit diversity fair in Bengaluru on May 28 and 29. The important feature of this fair organized by the Hessarghatta-based institute is that around 500 varieties of mango and 70 varieties of jackfruit will be on display.mn
IIHR Has 750 Varieties Of Mango
The scientists at the IIHR said that it is one of the biggest collections in India. The fair is being organized at the IIHR campus in Hesarghatta and will also be conducted on June 1 and June 2 at Bengaluru’s Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat.
IIHR is one of the premier horticultural research institutes in India. Over the years, it has conserved a huge number of accessions of both the jackfruit and mango in its gene bank. The IIHR experts said that at present it has around 750 varieties of mangoes which includes 180 varieties of mangoes used for pickling.
Also, the institute has a collection of jackfruit that has been collected from different parts of the country and conserved here.
Mango Mela At Lalbagh To Kick Off On May 30
The annual Mango Mela will kick off on May 30 at Lalbagh and will continue till June 24. According to the Managing Director, Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Ltd. (KSMDMCL) C.G. Nagaraj, “We are putting up 80 stalls. Farmers from 10 districts across the State will participate.”
The MD of KSMDMCL further added that the recent rains have offered some hope who was otherwise seriously worried due to dry spell as the yield was severely affected.
Elsewhere in Bangalore, the Mango and Jackfruit Mela organized by the Horticulture Producers and Cooperative Marketing and Processing Society (HOPCOMS) started on May 24. Both the fruits are available at a discount of 10% in all the 325 retail outlets of HOPCOMS in the city. The discount will continue all through this season.
The mela has more than 10 varieties of mango on display from Karnataka’s Badami to Odisha and Himsagar of W.Bengal. The managing director of HOPCOMS, B.N. Prasad said, “The mangoes sold here are ripened in the ripening chamber and are 100% carbide-free, a key USP of the mela apart from the discount.”
Last year HOPCOMS sold 750 tonnes of mangoes and 150 tonnes of jackfruit. The experts of HOPCOMS are hoping to make a sale of 1,000 tonnes of mango and 200 tonnes of jackfruit this year.
