THIURUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly 50 tonnes of mangoes will arrive from Tamil Nadu alone for the Mango Fest-2012 starting on May 18 at Kanakakkunnu grounds, officials of the State Horticulture Mission, the organisers, said."In all, we expect 100 tonnes from all over the country. Tamil Nadu farmers alone are expected to bring in 50 tonnes,’’ Mission Director K Prathapan said. This year’s festival will specially focus on the mango varieties of Kerala, many of which are rarely seen in the market now.Up to 15 varieties will be contributed by the Extension Training Centre (ETC) of the Agriculture Department’s Kannur District Farm alone. The ETC was started during the British era and the mango-loving Brits had collected varieties from all over the place and cultivated them at ETC, Prathapan said."Now it has around 300 varieties in all, indigenous varieties that are no longer available elsewhere in the State,’’ he said.Varieties from other parts of Kerala, such as the ‘Kottoorkonam Varikka’ from Thiruvananthapuram district, the 4-kg ‘Kisan Pasand’ grown by an ex-servicemen cooperative in Chalakkudi, ‘Kilichundan’, ‘Phirangi Ladua’ from Kasargod and the Muthalamada varieties too will be available. The best thing is that the saplings also will be on sale.Agriculture Minister K P Mohanan will inaugurate the ten-day fest.‘Daseri’, ‘Malgova’, ‘Alphonso’, ‘Neelam’, ‘Banganappalli’, ‘Banglora’, ‘Preyor’, ‘Sakkarakkati’ and ‘Mallika’ are some of the mouthwatering varieties that will grace this year’s fest.Last year, the Horticulture Mission had organised the first mango fest here, which was an eight-day affair. Buoyed by its success, the Mission decided to increase the number of days to ten this year.
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