Over 53 tonnes of mangoes sold at mela

DHARWAD

The five-day Mango Mela organised by the department of horticulture at Dharwad witnessed sales of over 53 tonnes of mangoes worth Rs 70 lakh. The mela was organised to help growers get a fair price for their fruits and provide chemical-free fruits for the consumers. People from the twin cities visited the mela and purchased the Dharwad alphonso variety of mangoes. On the first day, around 2,100 dozens of mangoes were sold while on the second day, 3,000 dozens were sold, which went up to 4,000 dozens on the third and fourth day, and 3,400 dozen of mangoes were sold on the last day. Nearly 18,000 dozen of mangoes were sold at the mela, officials informed. Last year, in the mango mela, the sale had crossed 90 tonnes mark generating a revenue of Rs one crore. However, this time, around Rs 70 lakh sales were recorded. One of the reasons for less sales was rain. The growers complained that the department could have planned the mela either in the last week of April or first week of May when the weather was bright and sunny. Following the rain, many people did not turn up for the mela.

Mango melas were held in Belagavi and Koppal as well. Many growers also went to other districts to purchase the fruit. Grower Pramod Gaonkar said that mango mela in Bengaluru and Koppal is a 10-day-long event. “But, even with rich alphonso quality mangoes, the Dharwad mela was held only for five days. At least the mango fair should be organised for one week,” he said. Deputy Director of Horticulture KC Bhadrananvar said that the department will host mango mela for one week from next year.