THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After jackfruit, Kanakakkunnu has become a haven for mangoes, as the National Mango Fest began here on Thursday. The very aroma that fills the air as you step into the pavilion, which showcases mangoes from across the State and outside, is enough to lure you. All those who walked in on the inaugural day got to taste at least one piece, which naturally saw them asking for more. The 11-day fest was formally inaugurated by Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry K P Mohanan at a function presided over by K Muraleedharan MLA. “The government is resolved to extend all support to farmers. The previous government had initiated some significant steps in this direction and we will be carrying forward all the activities,” said Mohanan. V S Sivakumar, Minister for Transport and Devaswom, opened the pavilion. Mayor K Chandrika was also present at the function. Some 30 stalls have already started functioning at the fest, which will be on till June 26. The event, organised by Mango Growers’ Association with technical support of State Horticulture Mission, has mango varieties from different parts of the State, including Kollam and Palakkad, besides varieties from Karnataka, Kanyakumari and Delhi. “If the stock get over, the farmers who’ve come here have promised to bring in more. The National Jackfruit Fest has been such a huge hit that we hope to get the same response for the mango fest as well,” said Dr K Prathapan, director, State Horticulture Mission. The varieties include Banganapally, Alphonso, Sindoor, Neelam, Malgova, Selam and Kerala varieties like Kilichundan, Kotturkkonam and Panchavarnam. The prices start from Rs 40 and goes up to Rs 80-90. Mangoes cultivated via organic farming have also been kept for sale. ‘Payasam’ made using different varieties of mangoes is also available at the fest, at Rs 20 per glass. The immense possibilities of cultivating mangoes in the State and transfer of the latest technology in the cultivation and marketing of mangoes would be covered during the fest. After jackfruit, Kanakakkunnu has become a haven for mangoes, as the National Mango Fest began here on Thursday. The very aroma that fills the air as you step into the pavilion, which showcases mangoes from across the State and outside, is enough to lure you. All those who walked in on the inaugural day got to taste at least one piece, which naturally saw them asking for more. The 11-day fest was formally inaugurated by Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry K P Mohanan at a function presided over by K Muraleedharan MLA. “The government is resolved to extend all support to farmers. The previous government had initiated some significant steps in this direction and we will be carrying forward all the activities,” said Mohanan. V S Sivakumar, Minister for Transport and Devaswom, opened the pavilion. Mayor K Chandrika was also present at the function. Some 30 stalls have already started functioning at the fest, which will be on till June 26. The event, organised by Mango Growers’ Association with technical support of State Horticulture Mission, has mango varieties from different parts of the State, including Kollam and Palakkad, besides varieties from Karnataka, Kanyakumari and Delhi. “If the stock get over, the farmers who’ve come here have promised to bring in more. The National Jackfruit Fest has been such a huge hit that we hope to get the same response for the mango fest as well,” said Dr K Prathapan, director, State Horticulture Mission. The varieties include Banganapally, Alphonso, Sindoor, Neelam, Malgova, Selam and Kerala varieties like Kilichundan, Kotturkkonam and Panchavarnam. The prices start from Rs 40 and goes up to Rs 80-90. Mangoes cultivated via organic farming have also been kept for sale. ‘Payasam’ made using different varieties of mangoes is also available at the fest, at Rs 20 per glass. The immense possibilities of cultivating mangoes in the State and transfer of the latest technology in the cultivation and marketing of mangoes would be covered during the fest.Mango kingHe is the king when it comes to mango business. T K Balakrishnan from Kanyakumari is back in the city with his mangoes after a small gap. Having been in the business for 35 years now, Balakrishnan, 55, has no qualms about admitting that mangoes have changed his life for ever. He does business running into several lakhs of rupees every year. “I don’t have mango orchads of my own. Instead, I have taken the contract of several orchads. My days start at 4 am, walking out into the orchard, taking care of the plants,” he says. And he adds with pride, “You get mangoes from me all 365 days.” He has brought nearly 10 tonnes of mangoes for the fest. The varieties available are Banganapally, Neelam, Sindoor, Malgova, Bangalora, Chettivottu etc. “During off-season, I send them to Mumbai and Delhi. We don’t use any chemicals for cultivation,” says Balakrishnan.
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