Thane: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Sanjay Kelkar from Thane on Wednesday took a press conference to inform the media about the Mango Festival in Thane from 1st May to 12th May 2022. The Thanekars after a gap of two years due to coronavirus pandemic will once again be able to experience the Mango Festival this year.
Sanjay Kelkar - President of Sanskar Sanstha, Rajendra Tawde of Konkan Vikas Pratishthan, Sitaram Rane and Santosh Salunkhe of Sanskar Sanstha and Transport department member Vikas Patil were present during the press conference to inform the media about the mango festival in details.
The Mango Festival is organized every year by the Maharashtra State Department of Agriculture and Marketing Board sponsored by Sanskar under the leadership of MLA Sanjay Kelkar and Konkan Vikas Pratishthan. This is the 15th year of this festival.
Sanjay Kelkar said, "The Mango Festival organised by Sanskar is organising the festival from last 14 years and after two years of gap due to coronavirus pandemic we are organising this year's which is 15th year. At this festival, the mango growers in Konkan meet the farmers and consumers directly and generate lakhs of rupees. This not only benefits the farmers but also the consumers of Thane to get genuine Alphonso mango from Devgad at reasonable prices."
Kelkar further added, "This year mango production has dropped due to unseasonal rain and cyclone. The mango growers in Konkan are in a fix because the production of mango in Konkan which was 3,20,000 MTs in 2019 has reduced to 2,56,000 MTs in 2020 and further dropped to just 1,28,000 MTS in 2021. The produce is dropped to 40 percent and the consumers will have to be satisfied with the available stock. Also the mango presently in the market is a hybrid and costly too and being sold as those from Konkan."
"Mango from Karnataka had penetrated into the market in Maharashtra especially Thane district. However, the mango from Devgad is the original one and it stands the quality. There will be more than 50 stalls including those of the mango growers, allied products and even of the Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth. The products will be directly brought from the growers to the stalls" apprised Kelkar.
Kelkar said, "The farmers who have suffered losses due to natural calamities during the past few years are yet to get compensation from the government and their plea with the government has fallen on deaf ears. So this mango festival has been organized to support the farmers."
Online sales as well as direct sales
The 'Mango at Your Doorstep' initiative has also been launched for online sales of mango as the Mango Festival has not been held for the last two years due to coronavirus pandemic so in addition to the actual sale at the Mango Festival at Gaondevi Maidan, the facility of online sale has also been made available. For getting online mangoes the consumers from Mumbai-Thane should contact Rajendra Tawde on 9869016092 and Dinesh Manjrekar on 9819097650.
Exhibition by Dapoli Agricultural University
Dapoli Agricultural University has organized an exhibition of different varieties of mangoes at the Mango Festival site. Through this exhibition, citizens will get rare information about mango and its species.
