Mangaluru: Unbelievable varieties of mangoes lined up at Pilikula Nisargadhama during the ‘Mango Mela’ took the visitors by surprise on Saturday, May 21. The varieties of mangoes, which are on the verge of going extinct, too were on display and sale at the expo.

The Mango Mela and Vasanthothsava events were inaugurated by Minister for Fisheries, Sports and youth affairs Abhayachandra Jain.

Addressing the gathering, Karnataka State Mango Development Board Chairman Kamalakshi Rajanna said that such melas have been organised by the Board in 20 districts of the state, with the aim to bring the customers and the mango cultivators closer. The mela also helps in getting good value for the produce.

Speaking about the status of Karnataka in mango cultivation, she said that the state produces about 12 lac tonnes of mangoes over two lac hectares of land, but yet the Board is pushing for expanding the expanse of land cultivating mangoes and to boost the mango production.

Pilikula Nisargadhama Managing Director Dr Prabhakara Sharma, ZP CEO Shreevidya, DC AB Ibrahim, DK Kannada Shitya Parishad President Pradeep Kumar Kalkura among others were present.