Ranchi, June 19: It was a show of a different taste.
Mango and its various nuances ? from hundreds of varieties to the process of growing the delicious fruit ? came to the fore at the two-day mango show that concluded at Nakshatra Van here today.
The show, organised by the Horticulture Society of Chhotanagpur, was aimed at generating awareness about the different varieties of mangoes.
It was organised in collaboration with Jharkhand State Forest Development Corporation, Horticulture and Agro-Forestry Research Programme and National Horticulture Board.
The exhibition, organised after a gap of around 25 years, also aimed at promoting mango production in the state and generating awareness among the mango growers as well. The organisers said there are no organised and systematic mango plantations in the state. This results in lack of large-scale growth of the fruit in Jharkhand. Most of the plantations are private, they said.
The show witnessed around 150 different varieties of mangoes, which included Bombay Green, Jaralu, Himsagar, Krishnabhog, Amrapali, Chasusa, Malda, Dasari, Alphonso, and many other types. The show also had 1,238 entries from Lohardaga, Hazaribagh, Palandu, Khunti and McLuskieganj.
The officials said there are about 60 per cent of highland in Jharkhand. Mango plantations need very less irrigation, which is very suitable in Jharkhand as there are no such irrigation facilities here.
?Another motto of this show is to make people aware of the different varieties of mangoes. The Horticulture and Agro-forestry research programme is researching on more than 1,000 varieties. Sometimes, local vendors sell one variety in other name and the common people, not knowing the actual variety, purchase it. Through this show, they would become aware about the varieties,? said Vishal Nath, secretary of the Horticulture Society of Chhotanagpur and professor of Birsa Agriculture University.
Prizes were also given away to the entries according to the different categories of mangoes. While G. Hembrom of Bano block secured the first prize in the Malda category, Kanchan of Khunti bagged the first prize in the Amrapali.
