Apart from a routine Sunday morning walk, this weekend, people of Bengaluru were also going home with bagsfull of mangoes from Lalbagh. The Mango and Jackfruit Mela, organised by the Horticulture Department and Karnataka State Mango Development and Marketing Corporation Limited (KSMDMCL), after two years, is turning out to be a big draw.
On a single lane, colourful cartons are filled with bright mangoes. People from other parts of the State are also coming to witness the mela on such a large scale.
While the usual favourites, such as Alphonso, Dashehri, and sugar baby, were being sold the most, at ₹250 per kilo the Imam Pasand was the costliest. Most of the vendors have been in the trade for many years, while some have just started selling mangoes.
Kaustubh from north Karnataka owns a 45-acre farm in Dharwad and having been in the mango business for about 22 years, this year is only the second time that he is attending the fair.
Some vendors, like Kaustubh, sell just one variety, be it Alphonso or Totapuri, since their farm soil and the water table are suitable for only certain types.
However, vendors such as Bhagyasree, sell 15 different varieties, including the Imam Pasand. She takes pride in selling organic mangoes grown without the use of chemical fertlizers.
The only problem the vendors have at the mela is that of a maximum price ceiling. Many of them explained how they were just breaking even at the mela, with no particular profit. “It’s not really a profitable price, because there’s a limit and transportation from Ramanagaram is also expensive” said Rakshit, a first-time vendor.
However, many said that the fest serves as a great platform for branding, especially after they took a hit during the peak of the pandemic.
The customers had a general opinion of the price being steady and less than what vendors sold it for outside. “Last time, there were a lot more stalls and vendors had put up their individual farm details, but now it is generic. Otherwise, we can reach out to them if we have the details,” said Shyama, a mango buyer.
There were also children who were first-time visitors to the fair. They enjoyed tasting different mangoes and their delicacies, such as mango shake, chaat, and others. There were also quite a few takers for jackfruits which were also being sold, along with its products in both sweet and savoury forms. The mela will go on at Lalbagh until June 13.
