Fruit mela opens to brisk business

Bangalore, Nov 25 :

From the hottest chilli to the coolest pineapple, all types of fruits and vegetables were on display at the ‘Horti Fair Sangam’ on Thursday.

As hordes of people thronged the stalls to buy some of the tastiest kiwis and oranges straight from the farms of Nagaland, Horticulture Minister Ravindranath inaugurated the mela. An initiative of the State government and the Ministry of Horticulture from Nagaland, the mela will run for the next ten days. Sold at a competitive price after a retail study of the same fruits in the City, the Naga farmers who have brought the fresh fruits from their farms were seen doing brisk business at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden premises. “We have done a study of the product price in the retail market and are selling the produce at a very competitive price. There has been a rousing response from the Naga farmers who have come here to sell their produce,” claimed Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Director, Dr Akali Sema. The CIH has been the facilitator for the mela bringing in farmers from the seven sister states of the North East. However, stalls were being set up mostly by Naga farmers as their fruits were more in demand. “The fruits are mostly organic. We are guaranteeing this only for the pineapples and oranges, as they are organic-driven produce. Other produces are partly organic and partly chemical compound mixed,” said Sema. Ravindranath hoped that the mela will provide an ideal platform for the farmers from across the State and the North East to exchange ideas. “It will also be the best place to buy and sell agricultural produce,” he added.