Growers, traders to be fined if chemicals are used

Mysore: The use of chemicals like calcium carbide to ripen mangoes and consumption of such mangoes may lead to cancer, said District Vector Borne Diseases Control and Food Control Officer Dr. Chidambara.

He was addressing the growers and traders of mango at a meeting organised at the Horticulture Department in Curzon Park here this morning and said, in the earlier days there were hardly any diseases related to food as it was all grown naturally and organically without any pesticides.

However, in today’s world the farmers are becoming greedy to earn quick money and started using chemicals to ripen the mangoes. The use of calcium carbide to ripe mangoes is dangerous as it is found that when people consume such ripened mangoes it may lead to cancer, he said.

Hence, only natural ripening methods must be used, where the colour of mango will not be uniform, unlike the artificial ripening using chemicals where the colour becomes uniform.  This is one way of finding out what method has been used to ripen the mangoes, said Dr. Chidambara.

Horticulture Department Senior Assistant Director Habbiba Nishad, Assistant Director Bharathi, APMC Secretary Girish, College of Horticulture Mysuru lecturer Dr. Venkatesh Rao and others were present.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Mysuru City Corporation Health Officer Dr. Nagaraj said that awareness has been created among traders not to use chemicals like calcium carbide to ripen mangoes just to make quick money. If it is found that they continue to use such chemicals, they will be fined, he added.

Mango Mela

The Mango Mela organised by the Horticulture Department every year is likely to be held this month at Curzon Park, said the officials in the Horticulture Department.