Belagavi mango mela showcases local harvest and farmer initiatives
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Belagavi: With a bumper mango yield in the Belagavi district, the horticulture department will host a three-day mango mela starting Saturday. MLA Asif (Raju) Sait inaugurated the mango mela and honey farming products sales exhibition organised at Hume Park on Saturday. Growers from different parts of Belagavi and Maharashtra are participating in the fair.
Twenty-two stalls were opened at the mango mela. Sixteen stalls were allocated to mangoes grown in various parts of Belagavi district, while two stalls were given to mango growers from outer districts, and four stalls were reserved for mango traders from Maharashtra. Mangoes from 3,300 hectares across the district, with an average yield of 8–10 tonnes per hectare, were displayed alongside varieties from the neighbouring Maharashtra.
According to officials of the horticulture department, while there was a decline in mango crop yields across the state, Belagavi district maintained the status quo and had surplus yields. This is because the mango crop growing area is increasing every year and farmers took precautionary measures to protect their crops.
Vitthal, a farmer from Khanapur, said that usually the mango crop is grown in Kittur, Khanapur, Bailhongal, and Hukkeri. The area under mango cultivation further increased this year. The average yield is 8 to 10 tonns per hectare. Mangoes are also arriving to the Belagavi market from Ratnagiri, Konkan, and Pandharpur regions of Maharashtra.
Many farmers of Belagavi district supply mangoes to the markets of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. If a mango fair is organised in Goa, Belagavi mangoes get priority, which is an advantage to the mango growers of Belagavi district.
Parashuram, a farmer from Hukkeri, said that a dozen Alphonso mangoes cost somewhere between Rs 450 to Rs 500, Pyri Rs 450 to Rs 550, Rasapuri Rs 350 to Rs 450, and Kesar Rs 650 to Rs 750. As more fruits are arriving to the market, prices are decreasing. Despite the increase in the prices of some fruits, consumers are buying them after bargaining. Almost all varieties of mangoes are expected to hit the market after Basava Jayanti.
Mahantesh Murgod, deputy director of the horticulture department, said that the mango yield in Belagavi district is the best this time when compared to other districts. Almost 90% of the crop is of Alphonso variety. These fruits, harvested scientifically and ripened naturally, will be sold at the fair, along with an exhibition of new mango varieties. The objective of the department is to encourage farmers to embrace entrepreneurship, get the best price for their crops, and take a step towards progress. Since last year, farmers were given the opportunity to sell their mango crop under the Belagavi Maavu brand.
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