Mysore/Mysuru: The 3-day (May 24 to 26) Mango and Jackfruit Mela organised by the Horticulture Department began at Kuppanna Park near Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Circle (Hardinge Circle) in city this morning. The mela will be open from 10 am to 8 pm.

Speaking after inaugurating the Mela, Deputy Commissioner Dr.K.V. Rajendra said, the Mela is a platform that directly connects mango growers with customers. Noting that the mango yield this year has come down significantly due to failure of rains, he said that this was the reason why the city markets had not received expected stocks this year.

Highlighting that the mela, which is usually organised every year, will be beneficial for the growers and buyers alike, he called upon the people to make best use of this opportunity.

Dr. Rajendra said that “This is a good opportunity for customers to buy naturally ripened and farm fresh mangoes and jackfruits at a fair price.”

ZP CEO K.M. Gayathri, Deputy Director of Horticulture Manjunatha Angadi and others were present.

There are over 30 stalls selling mangoes and jackfruits with growers from Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts taking part. More than a dozen varieties of Mango  such as — Alphonso (Rs.125/kg), Raspuri (Rs.100/kg), Mallika (Rs. 130), Sindhura (Rs. 70), Thothapuri (Rs. 40), Malgova (Rs. 170), Banganapalle (Rs. 70), Himapasand (Rs. 240), Valaja (Rs. 70), Kesar (Rs. 130), Dasheri ( Rs. 130) and Sakkareguthi (Rs. 160) are on sale.

There are two main varieties of jackfruit — Sarvaruthu Halasu and Chandra Halasu — in the mela, which are sold at Rs.40/kg on an average.