The season’s first and the most awaited mango and jackfruit fair kickstarts on Tuesday.
The Hopcoms will host the mela at the Hudson Circle from 10.30 am. The fruits, directly procured from farmers, will be sold at 10% discount, said Chandre Gowda, Hopcoms president.
Speaking to the media on Monday, he said all 325 outlets of the Hopcoms will have the same facility. This year, the mela is starting late due to the delay in the cropping pattern, he said.
Talks are on with the management of UB City and Infosys to set up stalls on their premises. Apartment complex associations have also been roped in. The farmers will interact directly with the customers. Mobile vans will be stationed at the strategic locations across the city, Gowda said.
Lalbagh mela
The mango and jackfruit fair at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, opposite to Glass House, will be held from May 25 to June 15.
The Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation (KSMDMC) and the Horticulture Department are organising the mela.
C G Nagaraj, KSMDMC managing director, said 128 farmers will get a platform to make sales here. On May 23, the price-fixing committee will decide on the rates to sell the mangoes and jackfruits. Over 250 tonnes of mangoes will be on sale, he said.
Stalls will be set up at 22 metro stations, except at Vidhana Soudha. During the weekends, 15 stalls will also come up at Cubbon Park. From May 27, the KSMDMC will host the mango-picking tours. In the first batch, a total of 220 seats are available. Visitors will be taken to fields in Ramanagaram and Tumakuru districts.
Price check
The Hopcoms, Horticulture Department and KSMDMC have decided to check mango prices, owing to the fluctuation in rates.
“The retailers are trying to make more money on the pretext of less stock. But that is not true. The crop was delayed, but now it is abundantly available in the market,” Gowda said.
He added that the wholesale price and the market rate always differ with the retail. This is because the wholesalers buy the raw fruit, artificially ripen it and sell it in the retail market. But the board and other government agencies sell carbide-free and naturally ripened fruits, he said.