CHANDIGARH - There’s good news for lovers of the king of fruits - mango - as Haryana is all set to host the 18th edition of its annual Mango Mela (festival) from Saturday.

This two-day festival, jointly organised by the state’s horticulture and tourism departments, will be held at Yadvindra Gardens, one of the prominent tourist destinations, in Pinjore town in Haryana, around 30 km from here, from July 4.

“This mela marks the arrival of mango that is considered the king of fruits. Apart from showcasing various varieties of mangoes and providing an opportunity to the visitors to see and taste the good quality of mangoes, this event would be a grand affair featuring an assortment of cultural activities,” Haryana Minister of Tourism Kiran Choudhry told reporters here Friday.

She added: “It would also help farmers of the region to share their experiences and to exchange their knowledge during the mela. It provides a common platform to the artisans and self-help groups to display and sell their handlooms and handicraft products.”

Various varieties of mangoes like Dusheri, Langda, Chausa, Amrapali, Mallika, Alphanso, Ratnagiri, and Vanraj will be on public display during the mela.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, chief minister of the state, would inaugurate the event Saturday.

The state tourism department has planned many activities like rangoli competition, face painting contest, cultural programmes and various other things to entertain the visitors.

“The main objective of this mela is to encourage farmers to adopt latest technologies in order to increase their production and quality of the product. It would help them to have better returns from the market,” stated Kiran Choudhry.

Talking about mango cultivation in Haryana, she pointed out: “Mango occupies a significant position in Haryana as it is grown in 25 percent of the total area under fruit cultivation in the state. The estimated area under mango cultivation is 9009 hectares and its production is around 69,670 tonnes.”