A much-awaited event in Bengaluru’s calendar, the Mango Mela, which is organised at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden by the Horticulture Department, Karnataka State Mango Development, and Marketing Corporation (KSMDMC), has failed to draw visitors this year. Upon farmers’ requests, on June 9, officials decided to extend the mela by 10 days, till June 21.
The mela was inaugurated on June 2 and was originally scheduled to culminate on June 11. However, farmers at the mela reported that the number of visitors is down by over 50% this year due to the lack of publicity. While they would usually make around ₹15,000 of business in a day, this year, they are notching only ₹5,000.
“Due to elections, the mela was scheduled later than usual. KSMDMC officials could not call tenders due to the model code of conduct. But even after the dates were decided, they’ve not publicised the event citing lack of funds,” said Ashok Reddy, a farmer from Kolar.
Another grower, Uday Kiran, from the same district, said that sales were not going as per their expectations as customers not visiting the mela.
“We are in a situation where we will have to throw away 20 to 30 crates of mangos. There is no publicity, no advertisement or exhibition to promote the mela. The officials did not even visit here. Even those outside Lalbagh would not know that the mela is happening inside,” Mr. Reddy said.
More varieties
The participants at the mela also stated that this year, they brought in more varieties when compared to previous years and yet, it did not help them much. Shyamala, a participant, said, “We have good quality fruits here, but not many customers are coming. I would urge everyone to visit the mela,” which had more than 10 varieties, including Himam Pasand, Benisha, and Dil Pasand for sale.
Officials of the KSMDMC provided no explanation as to why there was no publicity for the mela this year. However, mango farmers have been alleging that there are no funds with the Corporation as the department is not releasing as per requirement.
“We have paid heed to the requests of the farmers, and to ensure that they get good business, we have extended the mela by 10 days. We want more people to visit the stalls,” said C. G. Nagaraju, Managing Director, KSMDMC.
On the other hand, customers who turned up at the mela on June 9, were happy with the variety on display. “I am a regular visitor to the mela. Compared to the previous year, this year, there is more variety. Malgova and Raspuri are my favourites, and along with them I have bought a few other varieties,” said Suraj Sharma, from Basaveshwaranagar.
