NABARD's Mango fest in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: It's time for mango lovers to celebrate the 'king of fruits' festival here in the city.

A four-day mango festival that began here on Saturday by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) at its premises at IRC Village is attracting customers in large number.

Different varieties of Mangoes are now being displayed and up for sale at the Mango fest here.

Tribals from Kandhmal, Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Keonjhar, Koraput, Nayagarh, Sundergarh and Nabarangpur districts are participating in the exhibition-cum-sale.

With an aim to provide a better platform to the tribal farmers producing mangoes, NABARD has been organised the fest where one can get varied varieties of mangoes such as Amrapalli, Baiganpalli, Lyangra, Dussehri, Sundari and Subarnarekha under a single roof.

Besides, other fruits like litchi, pineapple, and jackfruit are on display for sale at the fest.

"We have got an opportunity to taste different varieties of quality mangoes that to at affordable prices," said a local resident Ullasa Swain.

Chief General Manager of Nabard KC Panigrahi said, "We came to know that farmers of Nabarangpur were selling mangoes at Rs 5. So, we decided to organise such a fest where they can get maximum profit."

Distress sale, lack of proper marketing and food processing facilities had forced the farmers to sell their products at low price to businessmen.

Meanwhile, the initiative of NABARD is seen as a step forward to help promoting fruits and vegetable farming in the State, especially in the tribal areas. The exhibition will continue till June 6.