13-05-2025
Five-day mango mela begins in Dharwad
The five-day mango mela organised with the objective of providing a market sans middlemen to mango growers began in Dharwad on Tuesday, with Deputy Commissioner Divya Prabhu G.R.J. formerly inaugurating it.
The mela has been organised by the district administration in association with the Department of Horticulture. Over a dozen mango varieties are for sale at the fest which will go on till May 17.
Mango cultivation has been taken up in around 12,000 hectares of Dharwad district and 'Dharwad Aapus' (Alphonso variety) as it is popularly known as, is the most sought after mango variety.
Inaugurating the mela, Ms. Prabhu stated that the mango festival was gaining popularity year after year and focus would be on branding the 'Dharwad Aapus'.
In all, mango cultivation had been taken up in 12,000 hectares in villages of Jogyellapur, Kelgeri, Tegur, Amblikopp, Halligeri, Mansur, Mugad, Mandihal, Devagiri, Navalur, Itagatti, Yerikopp, Kalkeri, Kyarkopp, and others. This year, the expected yield was over 29,000 tonnes and it was being supplied to metros and a few consignments would be sent abroad, she said.
The Deputy Commissioner said that that the government had sanctioned a Mango Development Board for Dharwad and it would come up at Kumbapur in Dharwad taluk, and a sum of ₹7 crore had been sanctioned for the purpose. The board would facilitate linking the consumers to the growers, apart from taking up research and development and conducting training for mango growers, she said.
