Minister Rai Inaugurates Week-long Halasu and Mavu Mela at Kadri Park
Mangaluru: The departments of Horticulture and Agriculture in association with State Mango Development and Marketing board organised a Week-long state-level Halasu and Mavu Mela (Mango and Jackfruit Exhibition) from May 19 to 25. The inauguration of the exhibition was held at the Kadri park here on May 19.
The district minister in-charge Ramanath Rai inaugurated the Jackfruit and Mango exhibition by cutting the ribbon. A stage programme was held after the inauguration of the Halasu Mela.
KSMDC Chairman L Gopalakrishna speaking on the occasion said, “The aim of the Mango and Jackfruit Exhibition is to encourage the farmers to get proper returns for their produce. Earlier the farmers were selling their produce to APMC at a very cheap rate but now the farmers can sell their produce directly to the buyers at a reasonable rate. By organising such exhibitions the government is encouraging farmers to get good returns for their produce. To ripen the mangoes quickly, sellers who purchase the mangoes from the farmers will ripen them using carbide. The mangoes ripened using carbide are not good for health. Such exhibitions will help the farmers to sell their produce directly to the consumers. To encourage the farmers we are organising exhibitions so that the farmers will benefit and the consumers will get quality fruits for a reasonable price.”
Minister Ramanath Rai speaking on the occasion said, “In the olden days, jackfruit was the food for the poor. Now it has become the rich man’s diet. In our district, we make various delicacies from jackfruit. When we were small people uses to eat Jackfruit and make various delicacies, but now the society has changed and people are hesitant to eat Jackfruit. Dakshina Kannada leads in producing Jackfruits and Chikkaballapur in producing highest Mangoes.”
Ramanath Rai urged the people to support the farmers by purchasing their products which will be available at the Kadri park during the mela.
Various varieties of Mangoes such as Amarpally, Dasheri, Sugar baby, Himayath (known as sweetest of all Mangoes), Neelam, Badam, Alfonso, Malgoa, Mallika and many more. are available at the mela Varieties of jackfruits are also exhibited at the Halasu Mela. Happala, Cakes, Halwa, Chips, and various varieties of products made from jackfruits are also available at the exhibition.
Chief Whip Ivan D’Souza, Deputy director Horticulture Yogish and others were also present.
