.jpg "Two-day jackfruit melas in Mangaluru, Hiriyadkka from tomorrow")
Mangala Early, saplings of an early yielding jackfruit variety to be released in Mangaluru
Mangala Early, saplings of an early yielding jackfruit variety to be released in Mangaluru
: Jackfruit melas are back here after a gap of two years. The melas will be held in the city and at Hiriyadkka in Udupi district on May 28 and May 29.
The mela in the city will be organised at Balam Bhat Hall, near Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.. It will be held on the premises of Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, Hiriyadkka during the same time on Saturday and Sunday.
In Hiriyadkka, the mela is supported by the Department of Horticulture and agriculture universities.
Organised by Savayava Krishika Grahaka Balaga and Pranava Souharda Sahakari Ltd. in the city, an arecanut-based health booster will be released at the mela.
There will be jackfruits of different varieties, their by-products and saplings for sale. Jackfruit-based food items will be cooked on the spot and served.
It will be an opportunity for relishing variety of jackfruits in all its size, shape, colour, texture, aroma, colors and taste, the organisers said in a release.
The mela is also a forum to know more about the variety of saplings and a platform to share the experience, knowledge and technical know how of jackfruit farming from experts.
The two days proceedings will facilitate growers to pick up the right variety of saplings and be assured of the type of fruits one can get on the tree that are suited for local terrain and weather.
Normally jackfruit season in coastal Karnataka runs between April and July. The taste and yield get affected due to monsoon. Every grower dreams of a tree that yields jackfruit couple of months ahead of the monsoon.
To meet the aspirations of people grafted saplings of an early yielding variety ‘Mangala Early’ developed by Chiguru Nursery, Mangaluru will be released on the occasion. It starts yielding from late November and early December. It is a joint initiative of grafters B. Sarvesh Rao, Gururaja Balthillaya and retired forest officer and jackfruit grower Gabriel Veigas.
‘Mangala Early’ is explored, identified, tried, tasted grafted and developed for commercial and domestic planting keeping in mind the weather, terrain and soil conditions of coastal Karnataka. Its sapling is being released to the market after three years of relentless study and experiment at Chiguru Nursery owned by Mr. Rao.
Its tree grows medium-sized bearing fruits in three to four years, the release said.
