Bhubaneswar: The State-Level Mango Festival was held on Friday, at the Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CHES) in Bhubaneswar. Jointly organized by ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, and Odisha’s Directorate of Horticulture, the event celebrated the state’s rich mango heritage, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable farming.
The festival brought together hundreds of growers, experts, and enthusiasts to promote climate-resilient horticulture and raise awareness for agricultural land protection under the “Khet Bachao Abhiyan.”
The Chief Guest, Deputy Chief Minister of Odisha, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, emphasized that Odisha needs to create unique branding for its mangoes to significantly enhance farmers’ income and propel agricultural exports. He also suggested the critical need for crop diversification to boost agricultural productivity. He urged farmers to move away from traditional methods by diversifying into pulses, oilseeds, and fruit crops like dragon fruit, which offer great medicinal value.
Dy CM Singh Deo also highlighted the state government’s initiatives to expose local farmers to successful agricultural practices across India and praised the organizers for such an informative event.
Other prominent dignitaries addressed key challenges and opportunities in the sector. MLA Sidhant Mohapatra emphasized balancing high agricultural output with environmental care, Sachin Jadhav, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of DA&FE, pointed out that while Odisha has over 2.5 lakh hectares dedicated to mango cultivation. Additionally, while ICAR-IIHR Director Prof. Tushar Kanti Behera introduced high-yielding fruit varieties developed to support local farmers.
The festival featured a massive exhibition displaying over 60 mango varieties, ranging from popular local landraces to exotic types like Miyazaki and high-yielding Arka hybrids. This platform allowed scientists to interact directly with farmers regarding orchard management and pest control. To round out the event, several Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) set up stalls to sell quality mangoes directly to consumers, strengthening market linkages.
Director Agriculture Shubham Saxena, Director Soil Conservation Subrat Panda, Director Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman were present. Principal Scientist, CHES, Dr. Gobinda Chandra Acharya moderated the event, before the event concluded with a vote of thanks by ADH, Geetashree Padhee.
