Alphonsos worth Rs 45 lakh sold at 12-day city mango festival

NASHIK: A 12-day-long Alphonso mango festival, organized to provide naturally ripened Alphonso mangoes to Nashikites, received an overwhelming response in the city, with around 25,000 dozen Alphonso mangoes worth Rs 45 lakh being sold.
The festival, which was organized by the Konkan Udyog Paryatan Vikas Kendra (KUPVK), was held at the hall of the CBS branch of the Nashik District Central Co-operative Bank (NDCCB).Datta Bhalerao, office-bearer of the KUPVK, said, "We received a very good response from consumers in Nashik. Around 25,000 dozen Alphonso mangoes, worth Rs 45 lakh, were sold during the 12-day festival. The aim behind organizing the exhibition was to make original, naturally ripened mangoes available to the consumers from Nashik."
Around 17 farmers from Guhagar, Dapoli, Kolshi, Vengurla, Ratnagiri, Devgad, Rajapur, Lanja and other parts of the Konkan region participated in the exhibition. Apart from Alphonso, other varieties including Payari and Keshar were also put on sale. Prices were in the range of Rs 300 to Rs 1,200 per dozen. Apart from mangoes, mango-related by-products were also available for sale. During the exhibition, consumers were educated about recognizing, eating and preserving genuine Alphonso mangoes.
Nashikite Pallavi Sharma, who visited the exhibition to buy mangoes, said, "I bought two dozen mangoes here at the rate of Rs 600 per dozen. The rate doesn't matter much if you get good quality, original and naturally ripened Alphonso mangoes. I have been buying mangoes during the festival for the last two years."
The KUPVK has tied up with around 35 farmers from the Konkan region and they participate in the festival held every year in Thane, Mumbai, Pune and Nashik. Bhalerao said, "We have been organizing the festival in Nashik for the last seven-eight years. Last year too, we had received very good response and Alphonso mangoes worth Rs 48 lakh had been sold."