Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 7 (ANI): Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in Chhattisgarh's Raipur is hosting the second edition of its Mango Festival, drawing participation from farmers across several states and showcasing over 1,000 varieties of mangoes.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, who witnessed the event on Saturday, praised the effort and expressed hope that the festival would inspire innovation and diversification among local farmers.

'This is the second year of the Mango Festival hosted by Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya. Mango-producing farmers from more than 5-6 states have participated. Today, we can see over 1,000 varieties of mangoes on display. Generally, we are only aware of 8-10 varieties, but here we even saw the Miyazaki mango, which costs around 2.7 lakh per kg,' CM Sai said.

'This fair will continue for four days, and farmers will get a chance to see and get inspired to grow such varieties on their own farms,' he added.

Among the festival's highlights is the rare Japanese-origin Miyazaki mango, known for its rich red colour and high market value.

The CM said farmers and those interested in farming horticultural crops will be inspired by this event. Meanwhile, the CM also highlighted the religious significance of Mango leaves.

In addition, Krishna Mohan Choudhary, the Chief Horticulture Specialist of Malihabad, highlights the success of a new technique called bagging, which was adopted by local mango farmers.

The bagging technique has improved the quality of mangoes and increased their demand in both domestic and international markets.

'Malihabad of Uttar Pradesh is world famous for mangoes. There is a lot of infestation of mangoes, which causes the garden to be ploughed from time to time, and a polythene strip is put on the trunk of the mango tree to protect it from insects. A new technique has come up: putting mango bags on mangoes. For the last 4-5 years, farmers have been using this technique, and the horticulture department has supported them a lot. They have given a subsidy to the farmers...There is a lot of demand for it abroad, and it goes out of the country in large numbers,' said Krishna Mohan Choudhary.

'The cost of the bag is around Rs 2-2.5, and labour charges for putting it on the mango are Rs 0.50, totalling around Rs 3. Farmers are getting more than double the profit compared to non-bagged mangoes, with a significant increase in income,' he added. (ANI)